


Murdocks Chilling Adventures

by IsisKitsune



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Ableism, Affection, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Angst and Feels, Awesome Foggy Nelson, Best Friends, Birthday Fluff, Bisexual Character, Brothers, Canon Disabled Character, Developing Friendships, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Dysfunctional Family, Falling In Love, Familiars, Family Drama, Flirting, Foggy Nelson Is a Good Bro, Friendship/Love, Gen, Heavy Angst, It's For a Case, Manipulation, Matt Murdock & Foggy Nelson Friendship, Matt Murdock Needs a Hug, Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson at Columbia, Minor Foggy Nelson/Marci Stahl, Minor Injuries, Minor Matt Murdock/Foggy Nelson, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Series Sabrina Spellman, Protective Foggy Nelson, Reconciliation, References to Depression, Religion, Resurrection, Reveal, Rituals, Roommates, Secrets, Separations, Sibling Rivalry, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, Sneaking Around, Tags May Change, Temporary Character Death, Traditions, Twins, Worry, rape mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 25,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28206534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsisKitsune/pseuds/IsisKitsune
Summary: Matt was groggy that morning, grumpy and annoyed. “Matty, I was thinkin', we can wait until lights out and then go out the window. Should give us an hour to set up the offering for our familiars-”Matt shook his head and he heard his brother pulling on his shoes, wincing against the sound of the laces being pulled, “I'm not going.”
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock & Mike Murdock, Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	1. Best laid plans and Dark Days ahead

**Author's Note:**

> It's late, my brain is finally quiet after bugging me for this for awhile now, this is supposed to be read as a "Prologue" and I'm hoping at some point my brain will let me play this out. I'm expecting at LEAST a second chapter for a "Today" timeline addition but for now I'm just gonna throw this into the void and see how it goes.

_Matt was groggy that morning, grumpy and annoyed. “Matty, I was thinkin', we can wait until lights out and then go out the window. Should give us an hour to set up the offering for our familiars-”_

_Matt shook his head and he heard his brother pulling on his shoes, wincing against the sound of the laces being pulled, “I'm not going.”_

“ _We only got a couple weeks until our 16 th, Matty... If we don't make the call now, we aren't going to have one in time for our birthday.”_

_Matt reached over to grab a shirt from their drawers, wincing at the odd texture shifting through the fabric, “Mikey you realize, if we do, we can't come back here, right? We, can't come Home again. They'll take us away, we'll never be able to come back.”_

“ _Matty, this isn't Home- Home is, gone, it has been since Dad died, since we were brought Here. We can go Home, to our Real Home, with our own people. With Dad's people, where we can Learn like when we could with Dad.”_

“ _Dad never taught us what we know to use it the way they want, he taught us so we could know where we come from and why he left them!”_

_Mikey's weight hit the bed next to him hard, “Why'd Dad have to go and fall in love with a Mortal anyway?”_

_Matt shook his head, “You don't choose who you love, ya just love 'em. Do you really think Dad woulda chosen to love us if there was a choice?”_

_Mikey snorted as he got up, “Dad woulda loved us no matter what, and he did- even if he did play favorites.”_

_Matt sighed and shook his head, “I'm not going...”_

_Mikey sighed as he shuffled around under Matt's bed before grunting as he dropped the book onto it, “Just, think about it, Matty. I mean, Dad even made this for you.”_

_Matt's hand automatically reached out, keeping the bound book on the bed, frowning at the subtle indenting on the cover. His fingers followed the pentagram on it as Mikey waited before he shook his head, “Knowledge is power. He made that so I understood where we came from, and why we don't have to continue on that path.”_

_Mikey grumbled at it, “Biggest bookworm in the family, I still don't know how they haven't sniffled out your lie about it being a story book Dad bought from a second hand store.”_

_Matt shrugged, smirking, “Maybe because that's all it is, a book of stories to warn against trying to do others harm.”_

_Mikey grumbled, “I'm heading to the park after lights out to find my familiar, come or not, but I'm not waiting up for you.”_

_Matt smiled sadly as he heard his steps heading for the door, “Goodbye, brother.”_

_The steps stopped, “There's still time, Matty, I ain't goin' nowhere until lights out.”_

_Matt shook his head as the steps headed down the hall, “Goodbye.”_


	2. The Start of Something New

Matt was going through The Book, his 'story' book from his childhood, his life before- Before his father died, before his brother left to join the Dark side of his family's heritage. This was the first time he'd had to relocate, so he was going through it, just to be sure. “Hey, Matt, what's this?”

His head tilted up toward the dry shake of something trapped in glass, “What's it look like?”

“Just, I thought it was a, uh, stress relief stash...” Foggy had caught on quick to some of the things Matt was 'in to' but he was accepting of a lot, “But this doesn't look like any recreational herb I know of.”

“Where was it?” He had charms at the corners of the room, and what Foggy held didn't sound like the shake of a bag or rattle of a talisman.

“In the fridge.”

Matt winced, “Yeah, it's... alfalfa, it's, something Dad always did, kind of to ward off an empty pantry. Sorry, I guess some habits really do die hard.”

“Hey, man, it's cool. Just need to know if I'm supposed to stay away from it or not.”

“It's edible, but I wouldn't eat it. Does us better in the pantry than our stomachs.”

“Got it,” Matt smiled as he heard the jar set back into the fridge. “Alright, now the other thing in here.” Matt winced at the click of stone against the metal racks. “There's a rock in here... Don't know if you thought it was an unripe fruit or something, but yeah, buddy, this is a rock.”

Matt snickered and shook his head, “It's Amber, right?”

Foggy was playing with it, “Yeah, looks like it at least. Another tradition?”

“Yeah, um, that's so we don't go at each other's throats when we do finally run out of food. It's supposed to help with anger and protection.”

Foggy shifted the door, the thing creaked as he did, “Huh, okay, so, kinda a New Age sort of Catholic. I can get by that.”

Matt shrugged as he heard the stone dropped onto its shelf, “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“Okay so final question then, what's this container? It looks like stone, one of those old flip top cylinders. Do you want me to bring it over to you to check it out?”

Matt blinked and winced, “Are there bumps on the lid? Like braille?”

Foggy's fingers playing over the lid caused it to shift, Matt winced and tried to think of where he could find another ring that was food safe so he could make sure a proper air tight seal was on the container. “Ah, there it is. What's it say?”

Matt smirked, “Matty. Dad made that. He, needed something to hold my tea in. He wanted to make sure I couldn't accidentally grab the wrong thing.”

Foggy chuckled, “Did you have a lot of anger issues as a kid? Or, was it just after the accident?”

“It was after the accident. I just, yeah, I guess I always did. It's why it took him so long to find the right things to help me calm down.”

“So, is this tea safe for everyone? In case I get desperate, I mean.”

Matt winced, “I wouldn't.”

“You wouldn't? Afraid of a reaction or something? Is there something in this I should know about?”

“There's a lot of things in it, but it's- it's less a relaxing tea as it is a... dulling tea. So I don't think you'll like it.”

Foggy was shifting around, Matt smiled at the distinct clink of his tea jar setting back down, “Alright, so, are we gonna have a little herb garden going on, or should I plan the space for something bigger?”

Matt shook his head, “I will admit I'd like to keep a couple little pots for a few of them, they're hard to find in season unless you have an indoor growing place, but I'm not going to take up your space. I can probably just leave them on my desk or shift them over to the sill in the mornings.”

Foggy shifted and sighed, “We'll... figure it out. Um, wait what time is it? Shit, we've got orientation. Come on, Matt, let's go, I wanna get good seats.”

Matt snorted and grinned as Foggy patted his arm before giving it a tug, “Alright, alright, hold on, let me grab my cane.”

“Glasses, here ya go, buddy.” Matt was chuckling at them tapped against his other shoulder, “Alright, um, notes, I gotta grab a pen and some notebooks. Wait, is there anything you need with the whole, eyes thing?”

“I've got a recorder, it's in my bag.”

“Alright, I'll grab some things while you get your stuff.”

Matt slung his bag over his shoulder, automatically reaching to tap his recorder and making sure his headphones were with it. “Oh, um, you know what you said about the New Age Catholic?”

“Yeah, hey your belief is your belief, just, give me a heads up if you bring anything weird into the room like stink weed or whatever the hell that shit is called.”

Matt snorted, “I'm the Last person on earth that would drag that into our room, well, unless it was a last resort.”

“Oh, and, so- um, there's this absolute Fox I was talking to-”

“You mean the reason you're talking Punjabi?”

“Well, yeah, but just... You don't do that, stuff right? To pick up chicks?”

Matt shook his head as he felt Foggy nudge his shoulder, taking his arm, “No, never, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I don't do anything to or for anyone that I wouldn't want done to me.”

“Good, good, cause yeah I'd love a wingman, but I don't really want that type of help.”

“Yeah, I'd help, if you had certain types of issues, the in-laws hating you, the siblings giving you the Evil Eye, the grandmother plotting your demise, but just on the case of a new found affection, nah, you're too young to be needing any kind of help I'd willingly provide.”

“Too young? Huh,” Foggy's steps shifted, like he was trying to walk sideways before it clicked, “OH, no, nah, I got No problems in that department.”

Matt was chuckling as he shook his head, “Okay, so, the route. It's a left, then 4 doors up, right?”

“Two lefts there buddy. First is here,” Foggy shifted them around a corner, “Then four doors,” Matt was smirking as he counted them out loud while Matt's cane tapped the frames, “Then another left. And of course these doors open outward so the door plate is hidden behind them.”

Matt shook his head, “Of course.”

Foggy was grumbling about there at least being braille on the door plate, making Matt's grin widen while they found their seats.


	3. Study Aids and Calming Panic

Matt was studying while in the process of snipping and hanging herbs to dry in the window when Foggy shuffled in, ruffled and huffing, “I completely forgot about the exam!”

“Is that why you stayed the night at Marci's?”

Foggy grumbled and shuffled, yelping when his knee slammed into the corner of his bed while he tried to round it and grab some, at least semi clean clothes. “Not now, Murdock... Look, you got anything in that bag of tricks of yours to help me out here?”

Matt shook his head and smirked before he grabbed a box from his desk drawer and started shuffling through it. “What's your goals here?”

“A fucking passing grade? What do you think my goals would be, buddy!”

Matt shook his head, “That's not how this works, Fogs. What, in this moment, are you wanting.”

Foggy finally pulled on a, thank God, clean shirt, “Just, I wanna chill the fuck out and THINK, does that work for goals?”

Matt smirked as he found what he was looking for, giving the bag a sniff, wincing away from it before grinning and tossing it toward the loudest of the shuffling, “That should work.”

Foggy fumbled it, taking three tries before he finally caught it, the guy was good at hacky sack at least. “What's in it?”

“Don't worry about it, nothing illegal. Just carry it in your pocket or something. It'll help.” Matt finished hanging the fresh sprigs he'd cut, “And try not to go playing with it the whole time, it's old enough to probably start breaking apart and the last thing you want is a bunch of dried herb in your pockets or the faculty thinking you're cheating.”

“So, what's it do?”

Matt sighed as he finally packed up his supplies and set the finished pot back in the window, “It helps calm and clear your mind. So long as you know the answer it'll make it easier for you to focus on the questions and answering them.” He snickered, “Good luck with your Punjabi exam.”

“There's no chance I'm passing, is there?”

Matt shrugged, “It depends on what's in that brain of yours, Foggy. You might surprise yourself.”

“Yep, I'm failing, wait I'm really calm about wasting money on a course I'm not going to pass, is this the bag kicking in?”

Matt shrugged, “Could just be you accepting your fate? I mean, you did take that class just to get in with a girl, right?”

Foggy was fiddling with the bag, “Yeah, you're right...”

“Go on, Foggy, at least try. What's the worst that could happen?”

Foggy was nodding, “Yeah, you're right. See you in a couple hours. Don't forget we've got a 2pm exam together,” he called on his way out the door.

Matt sighed and grumbled as he checked his watch, deciding on waiting on the rest of his herb clipping and setting up a calming cup of his 'tea' to help drown out and dull the constant voices questioning and responding to their own worries throughout the dorms. “Right.”

The world had finally died down to the occasional, much quieter, dull roar by the time he'd fallen into an even more calming study routine when the door suddenly slammed open, “Hey, Matt, wanna grab some lunch before sentencing or would that make your stomach throw a fit?”

He grinned, “I could eat.”

“Food! Let's go, we've only got... shit, an hour, we'll be cutting it close if we head off campus.”

Matt grabbed for his cane, “I really want Thai.”

“Alright then, Murdock, we're double timing it then, let's go!”

He was chuckling as he snagged Matt's arm, pushing the chair back against the desk like he always left it, “Alright, alright, I'm going. How'd the exam turn out?”

“Seems I can remember more than I thought I would... Thanks to your little helpful bag of tricks.”

Matt shook his head, “Foggy, it's not as big a deal as most believe it to be.”

“Well I know for damn sure I would have been freaking out if not for that little thing.”

Matt snagged the bag from his pocket before Foggy even realized, tossing it in front of them, “This little thing?”

“What, hey! I need that-”

“Foggy, smell.” He snagged it toward his chest when Foggy made a quick move to grab it before holding it up toward his nose, “Just smell it. What do you smell?”

Foggy grumbled as he finally sniffed at it, wincing back, “Is that Rosemary?”

“Mhm, for memory mainly but it's also good at dispersing negativity, so it can be calming. What else do you smell?”

“Rosemary, honestly, that's all I'm smelling.”

“There's also Chamomile, that's purely for calming. There's also a few dried flowers, you'd call them Marigolds but they're called something else... well the way I use them. Mainly to help protect against any... less than helpful spell work that might have been working against you. There's a few other things, including a couple stones, to help open your mind and memory to allow you to recall the answers. Plus or minus any existing openness and awareness you might have, so... Yeah, if you have any odd dreams, Rosemary is also supposed to help with that so I've got some fresh to put under your pillow or bed tonight just in case.”

“You, use this a lot, don't you?”

Matt shrugged, “It was the first charm bag Dad designed to help me, after the accident. It helped me a lot, especially learning everything again.”

“Isn't, isn't there something about the older the charm the more powerful it is? It's that one of the beliefs about um, New Age stuff?”

Matt shrugged, “I have to refresh the charm, the bag has gotten so old I actually am afraid of the day it falls apart. I'll have to figure out a better charm when it does. A new charm isn't going to work nearly as well as the one Dad made for me.”

Foggy shifted, “And you just, tossed it to me when I asked-” Matt frowned when the bag was settled into his hand, “Don't, don't waste something like that on me, alright? I mean, it was made for you, it should stay with you. But, just, for the record, if you wanted to get me say a Christmas gift, I'd love my own little study charm. And I'll, see if I can figure out some things to help out for... whenever that charm does finally wear out.”

Matt shook his head, “I'll let you know what I'm looking for, I'll need to figure out a few things. I can't remember what Dad made that bag out of, so it might be either expensive, or hand made from hard to get materials.”

“I will be on the look out, don't you worry.”

Matt smirked, “Always looking out for me, Fogs.”

“Well somebody's gotta! You definitely deserve it as often as you've looked out for me.”


	4. Friendship Earned and Family Found

Foggy was shuffling around when he got through the door, grumbling when one of the bags he dropped thudded loud enough to wake Matt up, “Sorry buddy, didn't mean to get back so late but once I told the family what I was up to they demanded I get some things for you.”

Matt winced at the noise starting up, rubbing his eyes before covering an ear as Foggy shuffled through things, heading for his 'tea', “What types of things?”

“Well, let's see... I have, a velvet bag, great gram swore by them as family protection bags. Apparently I'm a couple generations removed from some of the New Age stuff. Who knew?”

Matt smiled, shaking his head, “You never really know I guess.”

“I also have a rabbit skin, it's so soft Matt, you wouldn't believe it! Um, I got warned away from silk but I still have some... Let's see, oh grams said I had to bring you some of this fabric, said some things are better and stronger made by hand. I guess she knows more about this stuff than I thought. She was asking a lot of odd questions that I didn't really know how to answer and I didn't want to bug you during our only real break this year. Oh, she gave me this, said it would help with distressing too and focus. Apparently it's a family recipe. Claims it'll help better than any of the 'new age' stuff,” Matt's nose wrinkled at the plastic bag set in his hand when he reached out. “I told her you pretty much have your tea on lock but I'd still bring it to you. Do what you will with it.”

“Thanks,” Matt snickered as he dropped the bag on the table next to his tea. “Um, what were they asking?”

“Just, some well kinda odd things. What your Focus was, um, your- damnit what'd she call it, like Astrological thing I think. Odd little things like that. Was asking what your main choices were in alter and what not. I told them most of what you did involves herbs and they chilled out a little on a lot of the weirdness talk. Do you, um, do any sacrifice work?”

Matt shook his head, “I do some alter work sometimes, just, little ritual things to help things along with charms and meditation sometimes, but it's not like the full alter with all the bells and whistles. It's less about worship and more about helping or searching for answers or calming.”

“Good, cause, when I didn't know some of the answers I was getting the worried eyes for awhile.”

“Yeah, find out your child is friends with someone that deals with magic can do that sometimes.”

“Least I didn't get the 'you're not allowed' about it. Kinda woulda put a whole damper on the visit if I had to turn right back around and head back... Let's see here, what all is in this and am I going to sneeze if I open it?” Foggy snagged the bag of herbs up again, Matt swung a hand out, trying to carefully reach for it, “Oh, no you don't, buddy, grams wouldn't tell me so I'm checking it out myself.”

Matt sighed, nose scrunching up hard as he stuffed his steeping 'tea' mug under his nose, “You'll sneeze and it'll go everywhere and I'll be suffering the rest of the night.”

“Oh, come on, it's just a bit of-” Matt wince, turning away as Foggy took a little to hard of an inhale resulting in exactly what Matt had predicted. “Oh, shit, that's strong,” Matt winced away from the flurry of rapid sneezes. “Shit, okay, whatever the hell is in that is on the 'no fucking way is Matt drinking it' list...”

Matt winced away from the very strong smell now scattering across the room. “Yeah, you might want to bring up the whole delicate senses thing the next time...”

“Oh yeah. Fuck, okay that's going out of the room right now,” Foggy left with the bag while still trying and mostly failing to stifle the sneezing.

Matt decided to sacrifice a few inches of wax to help elevate the lingering scent of the herb mix and lit the candle he used for when the room just got to be Too Much for him. He smiled toward the door when Foggy returned, “It's a, let's call it a Cleansing candle and leave it at that.”

“Whatever the hell it is, I can't smell a single thing in here... It beats those herbs though, and hey it cleared up my sneezing fit.”

Matt was smiling as he shrugged, “Yeah, it's, pretty expensive to replace but it's worth it when you need it.”

“I'll say, and I'll make sure not to bring home anymore herb mixtures...”

Matt shook his head, “That is a good mix though. For Calming and Focus and Cleansing too. It's just so strong, and it's not what I use my tea for. It's sorta the exact opposite actually.”

“What's your tea for then?”

Matt smiled as Foggy settled on the bed nearby while he blew out the candle and set it aside so it could cool safely, “It's, to hinder and to Bind, and Protect, but not to protect me, those around me.”

“Why would you want to hinder yourself though?”

Matt sighed, scratching at his hair while he reached out to settle in his desk chair. “When I lost my sight, Dad did everything he could. Every, spell, and potion, every herb and salve he could think of. Not a one of them could touch the damage that was done to my eyes. It's the reason he started learning about making your own mixes, it's why he ended up discovering my Focus charm and my tea. All those trials and failures to fix my eyes, they built on each other and had another form of backlash. What they couldn't fix, were untouched but what they could fix they amplified. Magical backlash, most of the time when dealing with magic it's warned about, the Times 3 rule, but it can backlash in a positive way to. My tea is a mixture of herbs derived from Curses and Hexes, it's designed to limit what that backlash caused. So, I can stand in this building without slowly going mad from the voices, and the noise and the feeling of the rooms and people and the scent of hundreds of bodies- Trust me, Foggy, there's been rough days, and because of all the trials and failures, I could tell you what despair tastes like, what hope feels like, and not that warmth in your chest when you have hope, that heat that comes from another, the sound of a heart discovering what lust is, or fear, all of it. Day in and day out, I can't see the world, but I feel it, hear it, smell it and taste it. The Thyme I have drying in the sill swishing when the wind hits the window just hard enough that it finds it way through the cracks, the swish of the sheets when the air or the heat kicks on on your side of the room, the chill of it or the burn of it from across the room depending on what time of year it is... My herbs have been the only thing I can find that help make it tolerable, and even then some days it doesn't help. I can't Focus well enough to make sense of the madness.”

Foggy was reaching out, Matt could feel the hairs on his arm raise up as he reached for his shoulder, “But you can't see-”

Matt shook his head, even as his hand shot out to grab Foggy's wrist, “No, I don't need to See the world when I can feel it.”

“Fuck,” Foggy gasped as Matt slowly lowered his hand before letting go of his wrist, “Okay, yeah, well I think I have an idea. First off, you're coming home with me this Christmas. You do celebrate Christmas I know you do, you're Catholic.”

Matt snickered and sniffed, rubbing as his nose, “Foggy, come on.”

“Nope, I am making an executive decision, you are coming home with me this Christmas, and don't worry, I will make sure understand you have sensitive senses so none of that... whatever the hell that was, while we're there. And, hopefully, grams can talk to you and maybe help out with some old wise woman tales and history about some of the herbs she use to tend in her garden, back before the arthritis got so bad she had to give up the big garden.”

Matt sighed, “I don't want to intrude, Foggy.”

“Buddy, you aren't intruding on nothing, you're coming to Christmas dinner and eating your fill because God help anyone that leaves the Nelson household hungry and you're going to get to talk to some old school herb hunters and gatherers and maybe you can get some info your dad maybe didn't have access to. You, never really talk much about your family other than your dad, so, I'm betting he was pretty much a loner.”

Matt nodded, “You wouldn't be wrong.”


	5. Foreshadowing

Foggy was beginning to worry about Matt, “Hey, buddy, you doing okay?”

“Hm?” Matt shook himself, wincing when his tongue brushed his split lip he'd come in with nearly three days ago. “Yeah, I'm alright, why?”

“It's just, you've been a little unfocused lately, your grades have even been slipping. And I haven't really seen you tending to your little herb garden. Is everything alright?”

Matt grumbled as he tapped the split, “Yeah, I've just been, preoccupied. The course load just got heavier is all and I'm still fighting for that dick to actually describe the images he puts up in his lectures.”

Foggy nodded, knowing exactly what he was meaning considering how many time he himself had butted heads with the man about him 'interrupting' by describing them to his blind friend. “Yeah, still waiting on that one. You, uh, get roughed up and not talking about it?”

Matt snorted, “I took a wrong turn and ended up on some sidewalk due for construction, I just tripped, Foggy that's all. Busted my lip, nearly sprained my wrist and banged my knuckles up trying to break my fall. Just, had my head in the cloud is all.”

“Want some help with the plants, if your fingers are hurtin'?”

Matt blinked as he tilted his head towards the over grown pots, “No, I'm good, thanks Foggy.”

Foggy frowned as he checked on Matt's little stash of tea, it was low but it wasn't in need of replenishing yet, “You're almost out of your brew. Is there anything special I need to pick up that we don't have?”

“Mace, Bay and Sandalwood.”

Foggy blinked, “Mace? I thought you said you weren't attacked.”

Matt blinked and frowned, “No, wrong Mace, Foggy. Mace is the outer fruit of nutmeg.”

“Oh, huh, isn't that like, toxic?”

Matt snorted, “No, well, technically everything is with the right amount but no, it's actually used as a spice not just as aromatics, though I will warn you that the good stuff can be pretty aromatic.”

“Okay so, Bay as in leaves?”

“That works alright, yeah.”

“Okay Sandalwood?”

“That's- for burning, you can burn them on their own to help with, several things including protection, dispelling negativity and healing. They're supposed to make good wands but I don't work with wands so I usually use them as incense sticks or chips for an alter. That's to help with the injuries that are obviously bothering you more than me.”

“I just, want to make sure you're doing okay, buddy. I mean, according to all the pamphlets they threw at us during exams last year, losing interest in otherwise normal activities is a sign of depression...”

Matt snickered, “I'm not depressed, Foggy. I'm a little stressed, but I'm... happy, happier than I've been in a long time actually.”

“Happy, like happy happy?”

Matt smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I'm happy and clear headed and I'm not hiding anymore.”

Foggy was grinning, Matt could feel it in the air, in the shift and warmth when his hand landed on his shoulder, “Wiccan and proud, eh Murdock?”

Matt snorted, “Um, technically, I'm a Warlock. Though I do still prefer the good over the bad, it's still what I am.”

“Oh, sorry, didn't mean to miss-classify.”

Matt shook his head, “It's, what we're called, those born to witches and warlocks they're labeled as one or the other, I am more along the lines of Wiccan than what my father's family was anyway so it does work. It's just, not exactly the same thing so if you do come across a Wiccan don't assume we follow the same path or you might piss them off.”

“Duly noted. Now, what do you say we head out for a drink and some unwinding and see if maybe we can find those herbs you're needing. Where the hell do you even find actual sandalwood anyway?”

Matt snickered as he got up and shrugged, “Here and there.”

Foggy sighed, “So, to the store or to the park?”

Matt chuckled as he grabbed his coat, “Park last, store first. I'll show you what I'm going to do with them once I get them.”

“Ooooo do I actually get to be involved in the hoodoo this time?!”

“Yeah, why not, I'll need the mortal and pestle and, are we out of matches?”

“We have matches?” Foggy mumbled as he grabbed the supplies from the drawer, blinking at the small box of matches before shaking it, “Yeah, looks like it.”

“Eh, I can work around that. Grab the pocket knife, I'm not in the mood to make incense on the fly so I'll just chip up the sandalwood.” Matt was already grabbing up what looked to be a metal bowl and stand to carefully put them in his bag, “The heavy stuff?”

“Oh, here ya go,” Foggy held out the mortar and pestle before grabbing the small knife from the drawer, “I thought you didn't do... what's it called? Athamay?”

“I don't, those are ritual daggers and I only use functional knives so I never had anything flashy like some of them out there. I just need this to strip the bark and slice off chips of the wood when we find it.”

“Oh, Sage, Sage is big during rituals, right?”

Matt smirked and nodded, “You're learning.”

“Hey, I'm trying but, some of the things you've said don't match with a lot of the books I've found. So, I'm still a little confused.”

“Don't worry about it, Foggy, it's just... different branches, well roots rather. It's the same tree. Power and will are out there in the world, it's all about how you use it and the care you take in acquiring the power and what you use it for.”

“Okay, let's see your herb processing stuff, your... cauldron? Sacrificial bowl? What's that for?”

“It's basically going to be a fire pit, to hold and burn the herbs and chips. You actually thought this was my 'cauldron' come on, Fogs I thought you knew me better than that? I use a kettle or pot like any other modern witch!”

“Hey, look, alright, I don't know all the stuff and things and for all I know that could be your sacred some of someone specifically made for literally one purpose... Some books are like THAT specific about items for rituals.”

Matt shook his head, “The biggest thing you should know about me is, with the exception of talismans everything has multipurpose. That's the trick to dealing with all this in such a limited space.”

“Alright, all packed up, so, lead the way, buddy.”

Matt smirked, “What do you mean?”

“Well I sure as hell don't know where we're going and since you always know where to find the witchery supplies, I figured I'd let you lead this time.”

Matt chuckled, “The blind leading the blind?”

“Hey, if I was blind, there's no one I'd rather be lead by-”


	6. Drunken Confessions

Matt flopped onto his bed after stumbling away from Foggy's guiding hand when they got to their dorm, “I need,” he gulped hard enough Foggy actually shook his head and kicked the trash toward him, “Need my tea.”

“Getting loud?”

Matt mumbled something behind the arm thrown over his eyes, “Mhm, loud and... fuzzy, and... can't, can't keep things straight.”

“Wait, didn't you say your tea tastes like shit?” Foggy shifted open the stone container and frowned at how little there was.

“Can't taste worse than the cheap beer... and stomach bile I'm trying to keep down.”

“Next time, might be better to have some before we go out drinkin' huh?”

Matt shook his head, wincing and going still as he laid there and blinked, trying to decide if he was sure the trash was 3 foot from the bed or two and in which direction, “No, that'd make it worse, wouldn't be able to tell what's good alcohol.”

“Show off,” Foggy grumbled, “How much of this do I put in the kettle?”

“Just, throw a good spoonful in the whole kettle, it'll... help.” Matt grumbled as he looked to be either dizzy or unstable as he sat upright finally. “Been so long since I've had it, probably over dose it if I make just the mug of it.”

“What?”

Matt grumbled as he tried to lean against his hand, “Gonna be stale as hell...”

“Buddy, how long has it been since you've stopped using your tea?”

Matt grumbled, “Fogs, are you actually making me think? Um, 4 months? No, six, six months. Stopped drinking it after- after I heard that little girl. Couldn't, couldn't not help her. And I couldn't, couldn't... needed to Know. Where she was, where He was, needed to be able to help. So, I stopped taking it.”

“Um, okay drunk brain is saying suddenly stopping medication, no matter the type is a bad thing,” Foggy mumbled as he jumped when Matt whined and clutched his ears at the sudden high whistle from the kettle, “Sorry, sorry,” he quickly grabbed it and poured some into a cup.

“Yeah, was probably bad to just stop, was hard to get it back under control at first but I got it under control. It's just, drunk brain isn't a high functioning brain and the dorm is loud and ruckus and celebrating and I swear if that fucker doesn't stop playing that piccolo flute I will shove it so far up his ass he with be wheezing in a glass breaking C note for the rest of his life.”

Foggy snorted and couldn't stop the chuckling and giggling as he waved a hand toward Matt and took his to press the warm mug into it, “Just, drink your tea, Murdock.”

Matt groaned and whined as he sniffed at the mug, pulling a face that just screamed 'kill me now' before forcing himself through a sip. “Ugh, it's worse than I remember...”

“Does staleness help the taste?”

“Honestly, yes, and still no at the same time.” Matt grumbled as he finally got through about a quarter of the mug before he had to get the scent away from him, but it helped the roaring background nose start to fade and become more distant and manageable. “Foggy, if we're really gonna do this... The whole Partnership thing, there's some things you really need to know.”

“Oh our office will have a Very strict policy about religious acceptance. Everyone from the Partners to the janitors,” Matt snorted and huffed 'janitors' and mumbled about them being called maintenance or housekeeping now, “You know what I mean!”

“We gonna be big enough to have a maintenance worker?”

“Worker? Buddy, we're gonna have a whole fleet! Gonna have-” Foggy mumbled and smiled, “Just gotta get started and we can start climbing the ladder.”

Matt grumbled, trying to figure out when the hell he'd laid back down before he sat upright and grumbled, “Still, you should know, before all this gets going. I, I have a brother.”

Foggy shifted, stepping to the end of his own bed and making a confused noise as he sat on it, “Huh? You never mentioned a brother.”

Matt shrugged, “It's because we, had a bit of a falling out. He chose his path and I chose mine, I haven't even seen him since our 16th birthday. You know how I said that Dad was kind of solo, he didn't have a coven or anything like that? Well, that's because he was Excommunicated. He was cast out of his Coven, his Church for, well, us. He, he got our mother pregnant and their marriage was forbidden in his church. A Warlock can't be with a mortal, the same for a Witch. I'm honestly surprised he wasn't killed instead, honestly knowing Dad he probably did something to trick them into thinking we'd died or the pregnancy was terminated... He cut all ties and, warned my brother and I about them, and their ways and, he even crafted a grimoire himself, a book of spells and potions and history so I could read it and learn it after I lost my sight. But, when a Witch or Warlock reaches their 16th birthday, they have a ritual. A right of passage and a Dark Baptism. My brother ran off, intending to join back into the fold that cast our father out for falling in love and standing by that love. I chose to follow the path of Light rather than the path of Night, stayed with the church that let Dad in even with his past and the people he chose to watch over me until I was ready.”

“Why, why haven't you brought up your brother before now?”

Matt shrugged and shook his head, “He, isn't in my life anymore, hasn't been since he made his choice. Once you go through your Dark Baptism, you cast aside the Mortal realm and all your ties to it. You go to live and learn among others that, are like you.”

“And you chose to follow your dad rather than your bother.”

“Yes. But, my brother, is my twin and he was a bit of a trouble maker. So, just, double check if I start... seeming off. Not like, I was when I was spacing out trying to get my senses in check when I stopped taking my tea, like, really out of character.”

“So watch out for mirror verse Murdock, got it.”

Matt snickered at the pat on his leg, when the hell had he ended up laying back down again?! “Yeah, you could say that. Um, the biggest thing is, um, Warlocks are... Satanic... They, sign the Devil's book. Swear their allegiance to the Dark Lord and their soul and all of that so- I haven't seen my brother since the night he left, so I'm kinda afraid of what will happen if he does come back. Because I know it's for one of two reasons, he's either here to try to talk me back into the fold or it's to do something the Dark Lord has ordered. Since I'm still out of the fold it might be both.”

“Don't worry, buddy, you got the whole Nelson clan backing you up! As good as any coven. We protect our own, and you are definitely one of our own.”


	7. Birthday Warnings

Foggy was trying his damnedest to decipher Matt's grimoire, it wasn't an invasion of private, he'd swear it, he was just trying to figure out something special for his upcoming birthday. Something, traditional among his family or culture. Hopefully something that wasn't too difficult for an uninitiated Mortal to find or put together. If he was really lucky he'd find something like a cake recipe or drink recipe for celebration, just a little something that made him feel happy and Home during a day he really didn't like celebrating. He rubbed his eyes and grumbled, great more Latin, he held his finger on a section as he scrolled through the page to figure out what letters the little bumps were spelling out, you'd think after over 20 minutes of trying to decipher Braille his brain would figure out at least Some of the letters by now but no, he's still stuck scrolling and back scrolling as he frowned when the word made no sense. Okay, not Latin... There were a few words in several odd languages in the book. So far the only ones Foggy had run into have been Names or Events though so, google what's this mean? Oh, ew okay nope, moving on. That is Not a birthday celebration Matt would enjoy. Okay what was Wrong with these people? Okay, Matt said his father was trying to warn him about the culture his family and keep him from following their ways. Foggy jumped when his phone started ringing, he fumbled with it before panicking at Matt's name on the ID, “Hey, buddy, what's up?”

“I'm at the store, I'm wondering what all I need to pick up. How's the stress level's been?”

Foggy glanced at his computer and the various pages of notes he had scattered across his bed along with the grimoire in his lap, “Um, alright, just, basic study stress?”

“Alright, so I'll pick up the usual. Oh, and Foggy...”

“Hm,” Foggy hummed, half paying attention when his brain alerted him of what a few of the bump groups meant, oh progress. “Yeah?”

“Most Witches and Warlocks have curses placed on their grimoires... so I highly suggest Not doing that with just anyone's book of magic.”

Foggy froze in the middle of turning the page, “They do?”

“Mhm,” Matt's voice turned a little darker, “So, please, be more careful. And just ask if you want to know something.”

Foggy fumbled, the book slamming closed, making him whine and panic when he couldn't get it to open back up, “I was just looking for something that's all! Nothing malicious or... I was just hoping to find like, a birthday tradition or something you guys did! I wasn't meaning to do any harm.”

“That's the only reason you were able to open it in the first place. Please, be more careful, Foggy. Just, ask, okay?”

“Okay, I just, wanted to surprise you, that's all.”

“Oh, you definitely surprised me, buddy. Just, from now on ask, alright? It's on a timer. Dad didn't want anyone permanently hurt so he put a timed spell for anyone that opened it without permission. It, could be deadly, Foggy. So Please, be more careful and just Ask first.”

“Okay, I'm sorry, I just, can I? Can I use your grimoire to find a good birthday present?”

“No, nothing I would or could want is in that book, Foggy. Just, put it back where you found it, please.”

Foggy whined but grabbed the book up and shuffled away from his research to settle it back where Matt kept it, “Okay, yeah, it's... it's back in it's spot.”

“Thank you, Foggy, and I'll bring home something for that nausea and worry.”

Foggy settled on his own bed, “Thanks buddy.”

“I really liked those tea cakes your mother made during Easter... if that helps?”

Foggy perked up and grinned, “Tea cakes, got it, buddy. Thanks.”

Matt chuckled, “Just, ask next time.”

“Oh, and I'm looking into some of your herb supplies too. Anything you need?”

“A uv lamp... We drew the short straw this year, the room doesn't have enough light to keep my thyme growing efficiently, and I fear for everything eventually. I can already tell most of my plants are starting to pale from lack of sunlight.”

“Make the dorm look like a pot house, got it.”

Matt snorted before chuckling, “Oh, I found that damn drink you love but can never find.”

“Oh? Where?”

“I... was sort of wandering, I'd have to show you where I was, I had enough on me to grab you a couple so ration them before we can head out for a long walk.”

“I am so learning Braille,” Foggy grumbled, “Just, throwing that out there.”

Matt snorted, “Foggy, something tells me you're already doing better with it than you did Punjabi.”

“Oh shut up,” he was actually giggling, “I'll see you when you get back... and I will leave the book alone.”

“Thanks, Fogs.”

“Mhm, now I have to get back to actual studying.”


	8. Don't go to bed angry

“Hey Matt, um, I have a sort of personal question for you.”

Matt tilted his head toward Foggy as he helped set up their new little growing lamp, “What's on your mind, Foggy?”

“Um, I got a little far in your book before you warned me away from it. Um, do you have a familiar?”

Matt shook his head as he checked to make sure the bulb was tight in its setting before grinning as he flipped the light on, he could already feel the plants soaking up the needed uv rays. “No, I never sought one out.”

“Why? Isn't that, a main thing with Witches and Warlocks?”

Matt grumbled, “Foggy, we've been over this, it's the same reason I don't have a dog. I don't need one.”

“But, I mean, it'd be a duel purpose companion, wouldn't it?”

“A familiar is a protector and companion, Foggy. I don't need either of those things. Plus I don't use spellcraft magic, I only really use herbs and potions when I need to.”

“That reminds me, whatever the hell that potion was you made last week...”

Matt winced as he softly shifted the leaves of one of his pots, “Yeah, that was a failure, sorry Foggy, I had bad ingredients. I'll keep my cleansing candle at the ready for it if it happens again.”

“What was it for? You, honestly don't usually make potions like that. You usually just use your tea herb blends and stuff.”

Matt mumbled as he finally stepped away from his little herb corner, “I needed to Focus.”

“Did your charm finally break?”

Matt shook his head, “No, I needed a much stronger Focus.”

Foggy was shifting, confused as he fussed with something, a small book, “Wait, were you making bootleg Adderall?”

Matt snickered, “Bootleg Adderall! Foggy, easy with that talk, you might get me pegged as the study drug dealer. No, well... not exactly.”

“Holy shit, you were, weren't you?!”

“No, well it was a high level Focus brew yes but no it wasn't to study.”

Foggy flopped down on his bed and sighed, “Does it have anything to do with the black eye you ended up with the day after that little blowup? Did your buyer get pissy that you messed up the supply?”

“Foggy, no, I'm not dealing in anything. I will make stress relief pots sometimes for those that seriously need them during testing weeks but no, I'm not making bootleg stimulants for students. Um, ya know the rash of on campus robberies that was going on?” Foggy nodded, confused, Matt just smirked, “You know how they stopped suddenly after a student was... attacked last week?”

“Yeah,” Foggy's voice was soft, unsure.

“I went for a walk that night, and heard a scream. He got a good shot in, but the real victim got away. She was so scared, she stayed quiet about being out that night. I got a black eye, he got a broken arm and cracked ribs. I could hear them creaking when he breathed. I needed the Focusing potion to help, weed out the background noise, so I could narrow my senses down to him so I could feel his movements and his responses, so- so I could 'see' him clearly.”

“Matt, you can't just-”

“I protected someone, Foggy. Well within the constraint of the law. He attacked her, she had bruises, Foggy, I could... smell them forming, hear the pain and panic. I had to do something.”

“Is this why you haven't been drinking your tea?”

Matt winced and nodded, “I needed to, see... The tea dulls the world and makes it impossible to navigate it like I could. When I was young it was, a curse, but now- It seems to be a blessing, since it lets me help.”

“Matt, you're going to get yourself killed!”

Matt shook his head, “No, I won't. I can, react quicker than most. I can feel and sense the attack before anyone has a chance to even make a try at me.”

“Then why the black eye, hm?”

Matt winced, “It was either the fist or the knife, I chose the lesser evil.”

“Knife, Matt, seriously?!”

Matt winced, nodding, “Yeah, there was a knife.” Foggy actually flailed and rambled to himself, making Matt wince as he circled around to flop onto his bed and grumble some more while grabbing a random nearby textbook and dropping it onto his lap before shaking his head and grumbling some more before taking a deep breath, his heart pounding telling Matt exactly how much anger was still in it. “So, am I getting the silent treatment?”

Foggy actually slammed the book shut, tossing it away before grabbing the 'right' one from the way he took a deep breath, “I am studying for this fucking Torts bullshit, and I'm staying quiet because right now I'm probably going to say something I'm going to regret... So, yes, right now, the silent treatment will have to do.”

Matt nodded, “Okay.” After having heard a rather colorful under breath ranting about best friends with no sense of self preservation and inability to ask for help when they need it, he understood that, so he settled at his desk and finished up on shifting his herbs and trimming the sprouts needing to be dried. The only sound that was heard from their room for a long time was the turning of pages and snipping or swishing of twine as Matt knotted bunches to hang up.

“You need a familiar,” Foggy finally said, somewhere around hour 2 of the self imposed silence.

“I don't need a familiar, Foggy...”

“Yes, you do. You need one, because if this happens again, you'll have someone that's got your back. Since, I can't be involved.”

“I'm not getting a familiar, Foggy. You don't realize what they are.”

“Well I would if you allowed me access to your book.”

Matt grumbled as he reached to grab for his book, flipping through pages until he found the one he wanted and stomping over to drop it into Foggy's lap, “Read, with my blessing.”

Foggy was frozen, he knew he was blinking at him as he lifted the book, “Thank you.”

“Mhm,” Matt mumbled as he stomped back to his bed, starting his own little strop and silent treatment while letting Foggy decipher the Braille on his own.


	9. FAQ

Matt was keying up for something, Foggy just knew it, he tried to be discreet about it but it wouldn't be the first time he'd walked in on him sorting and measuring his herbs or crushing them down with his mortar and pestle. Any day he expected to walk in and mess up another delicate potion crafting... They were talking, but it was mainly short informative sentences and less friendly quips. Matt was still seething about their argument about familiars, and honestly, now that Foggy knew more about them, he could actually see Matt's reasoning not to seek one out. But, if anything holds true across all version and teachings of Magic old and new, a request was a request, it wasn't a mandate and it wasn't forced in any way. If a familiar chose to be Matt's familiar, it would be so. “Foggy, I can hear you scratching away on that notepad of yours, are you still freaking out and rewriting your openner for the mock trial?”

Foggy shrugged, lifting the page and sighing, “You know me, buddy, I over think the hell out of everything.”

“Need a shot?” Matt smirked as he shook a small closed vial at him, “Guarantee a good nights sleep and peaceful rest.”

“Oh yeah, totally not a drug dealer...”

Matt rolled his eyes and chuckled, “It's just Chamomile mainly, a few other soothing things, but I don't deal with illegal stuff, you know that.”

Foggy grumbled, “Uh, hey, Matt, how- if you were wanting to ask for... help, how would you ask for it? Like magically?”

Matt winced, “That depends who or what you're asking for help... You have to be very careful with that. With some just the act of calling on them, is a summons, and that could have deadly consequence if you have no offering or something to appease their temper for the interruption. Hell, just the way you call on them can be an insult. You can forget every finding a pair of socks for example if you so much as mispronounce a Brownie's name... If you know its name that is. If you don't, if you get one of the old ones and you call it Brownie instead of Broonie you will never have an unspotted shirt ever again... Dad, accidentally angered Miss Lainie... he messed up one late night hobbling in and called her 'Lane' he never had an ironed shirt after that, and they all mysteriously seemed to be missing a button.”

“So, Brownies hold a grudge?”

“Oh, like you wouldn't believe... I miss ol' Miss Lainie. I hope she found a good family. When, when Dad died, we decided to tell her to stay with the home, rather than trying to follow us, since we didn't know what all would happen to us. She was upset and worried, she always was like a mother to us, in her own way.”

Foggy jotted down some information as Matt reminisced, wondering if she might be happy to help his buddy out. “She sounds like a good person.”

“Well, she technically wasn't a person. She was, a spirit of the woods that grew to love humans and help them. She told us stories sometimes, well sort of. Let's say Brownies are more creatures of action rather than words. She'd leave little hints, books open, pictures... She told us a story about how she started as a tree keeper, a nymph of the forest I guess you'd say. She'd appear and hide as a broken branch when we startled her when she wasn't expecting us. We'd just move her somewhere more comfortable until she could get back to work. Let's say I tripped a lot over branches in the yard after I lost my sight.”

“So, a request for help, so long as you don't name someone or some thing specifically, isn't taken as slight, is it?”

Matt winced and shrugged, “It could. It just depends who hears it. If I yelled down the hall for help with something, I know you'd come running, hell a lot of people might come running, but I'm pretty sure the night student across the hall would get pretty pissed off at getting woken up by yelling. You see what I'm trying to get at?”

“Yeah, I can understand that.”

“What are you wanting to ask help with?”

Foggy winced, “Um, just, wanted to know, in case I ever needed to ask for help.”

Matt snorted and shook his head, “Foggy, a Mortal... Honestly, Mortals just being involved in the magic I was brought up with, is an insult. So, please, if you need something, tell me, I'll help. Don't risk putting your life in danger because you have a question.”

“Aren't you half Mortal?”

Matt nodded, “Yeah, it still holds true. I at least know what I'm dealing with. You're still... next to blind to what all takes place in my world.”

“That's what I want to fix, so, teach me about it.”

Matt groaned and grumbled about something coming up before sighing and nodding, “Alright, I'll answer some of your questions. Just, please, if I say drop it or leave it alone, please, just let it be.”

“Okay, yeah, deal.”


	10. Helpful (Tiny) Hands

Foggy was wincing against the cold, they'd called for a cold snap but this was like pre-winter winter conditions. Hell, he had even had to bust out the Warm Coat he'd gotten when the heat gave out in their building and they had to wait three days to get it fixed last winter. “Okay, Nelson, just... take a deep breath, let's do this.”

Familiars can come from anywhere, be called on at any time when they're needed. If not to serve then to aid, the book had explained. Foggy hadn't wanted to do this out away from the city, in the wood or even fake wood the city still had. Matt was a city born and raised Warlock, so maybe the city would have a spirit willing to help him out finding his buddy some backup. He took another deep breath as he drew a circle around himself and pulled the small bell from his pocket. “Spirits of this urban realm... Please, hear me and give me your time. I have a friend, one who is like family to me, that needs help and I know he won't come to ask himself because he does not see that he needs help. So, I am here, beseeching you to offer up aid when you will and can. A Witch or Warlock without a Familiar is at risk, and I don't want him to take unnecessary risks by not looking for one. So, I'm asking you, if you will and are willing, to help a lone Warlock in his path.” Foggy rang the bell three times and winced his eyes shut as he set down within the circle, “Now, to wait...”

It wasn't that late, but the sun started setting, it felt like it happened quicker the way the shadows fell and the chill started creeping in like fingers. “I wonder if they'll come to me or go to him,” Foggy wondered to himself as he rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to dispel the shadows he swore were creeping in a very unnatural way. “I just want Matt to stay safe. I can't condone this but, I can't condemn it either.” Foggy actually jumped at the sudden noise, frowning and blinking before something slammed into his chest, “Jesus H.-” He clutched at his chest, honestly panicking about being shot at how hard he had been hit before he looked down to check for damage to see a very quick wiggling nose and sharp teeth chattering at him. “A, huh?” It took him a bit too long to understand the cold he felt in his hands wasn't from sitting on a rooftop too long but just the little wiggling block of cold in his hands. “Oh, you're freezing, hold on,” he quickly unzipped his coat enough to settle the small and quickly breathing critter into it. “Um, hi?” He earned a flap of a pure white wing and high pitched chattering before the little thing tucked itself up tight inside the warmer clothing. “Okay, yeah, um, warmth, let's... head inside.” Foggy quickly gathered up what he brought with him and started for the access door. “Um, thank you,” he couldn't help feeling like a fool but the chattering stilled for a moment before he felt the thing squirming around under his coat to get comfortable, “Careful I'm ticklish.”

Foggy couldn't help but snort and chuckle at the ridiculousness, “I'm having a conversation with a bat...” He cracked up at the very annoyed sounding chirping at him, “A very offended bat... This is just, so new to me, just give me a chance to process, okay?”

The odd collection of chattering and calming sounds were not helping him keep it together, “Matt is going to shit.”

He'd swear he didn't speak bat, but he would also swear that little shit was laughing as he finally got inside back to the heat.


	11. Dorm Guest

Foggy was still a bit stunned and flustered when he shuffled around, “Okay, um, are you a fruit bat or insect eating bat?” The squeaking chatter was not an answer. “Okay, we are gonna have to figure out communication. Um, want an apple? I think we have apples at the dorm.” He took the random shuffling along with the chattering and occasional shifting under his coat either as an affirmation or an attempt to escape now that the warmth had starting seeping in. “Easy, calm down, hold on,” he shifted to snicker at the little fury head now sticking out of his coat when he unzipped it a bit, “Okay, so, apples- yay or nay?” He got a distinct chirp before the head poked back in away from the cold. “Okay, I'll take that as a yay.”

Matt wasn't at the dorm, that was a plus, at least until Foggy settles the Familiar in and hopefully make sure everything's well and good. “Okay, um, let me grab a knife to cut it up a bit.”

He was smirking, the apple was almost bigger than the entire bat. “So, um, do you have a name? Or, does the Witch or Warlock normally name you?”

He only got chatter as a response when he set a slice of apple down in front of the now very active bat, flinching at the wide jaws chowing on it, “Okay, can confirm you are a Familiar. At least, I don't think a normal bat can open their jaw that wide... So, um, okay, we gotta get a game plan here. Uh, I don't know when Matt's due back but it's probably going to be soon if he's at the Library.”

Foggy sighed when all he got in response was little clawed fingers reaching for the apple slice he was holding. “Okay, just don't make yourself sick,” he handed over another slice and winced his eyes closed as he shuffled over to settle in his desk chair and contemplated life for a few minutes. “So, what's your name? What do I call you?”

Foggy actually jumped when the door cracked open, “Foggy? Who are you talking to?” He knew he probably looked like a deer in the headlights, but Matt didn't even give him a chance, his head tilted toward the tiny body and he stepped back, “Lily? What are you doing here? Did something happen?”

Foggy finally shook himself out of his stunned state, “Wait, you know this Familiar?”

“Yes, she's... my brother's. Did something happen to Mikey?” He seemed to understand well enough to take a calming breathe at the chirping response, “Okay, so he's okay. Did, did he send you to spy on me then?” Matt grumbled when he realized what was on the table next to the little bat, “You know you're a protein eater... why are you eating apples? They'll make you sick!”

Foggy flailed, “She, implied she was good with apples.”

“She is good with them, it doesn't mean they're good for her,” Matt grabbed the apple away and glared at the flurry of flapping wings and angry chattering, “Stop that. Why are you here?”

Foggy's eyes went wide, back to being deer in the headlights when that tiny head turned to him and those eyes stared at him, “Um, I uh...”

Matt's head snapped toward him, frowning, “Foggy what did you do?”

Foggy winced and shrank down, “I asked if someone was willing to... look out for you when you needed it, and, she showed up! I, just... I didn't want you out there in the middle of the night all alone without some sort of backup!”

Matt growled, “I told you I don't need a Familiar! Why wouldn't you listen?!”

Foggy mumbled, “Day to day, yeah I agree with you, buddy... But, with the new night activity, you do need some sort of backup. And, I'm definitely not going to be much help with that.”

Matt grumbled as he stomped over, groaning as he forced the window open before nodding his head toward it, “Alright, Lily, off you go.”

“Matt, it's Freezing outside! She'll freeze to death before she gets anywhere tonight!”

“No she won't, Foggy, she's a goblin, goblins are born to live in the chill in the darkest shadows and nights, she'll be fine.”

Foggy winced before smirking, “I asked her here, right? I'm not going to kick her out. She's staying for the night at least, unless she chooses to go.”

Matt's head tilted toward him before he shook it, “Her staying here will draw my brother here...”

Foggy shrugged as he grabbed one of his, clean, towels to bundle up into a little next near the warmest part of the room, “So mote it be,” he grinned when the little bat flitted over to hunker down in it, “And close the damn window... you're letting in the cold.”

Matt grumbled as he slammed the old window closed before stomping over toward his bed, “I'm going out.”

“Again, it's Freezing, Matt!”

“Don't wait up,” Matt grabbed his gym bag, at least he grabbed his cane so Foggy knew he wasn't heading out to beat in skulls before slamming the door behind him.


	12. Sibling Rivalry

Matt woke roughly, something weighty landing just below his throat making him jerk and panic at the hand suddenly over his mouth, “Shhh, Matty,” was whispered, “Wouldn't want to wake your friend. So, what'd you need that Lily decided to go AWOL all day?”

Matt's heart was pounding before but now it was pounding even harder, he heard Foggy shifting in his bed and he winced his eyes shut and tried, “Lacunae magicae.” His senses were reeling, the world suddenly spun before he stumbled back, grabbing for the thing behind him before he realized it had worked, he'd put himself on his feet between his brother and his best friend. “Mikey.”

“Very nice, little brother.” Foggy finally seemed to wake up as Matt jolted away from the clap, confused noises sounding behind him as Mikey held up his hands, “I entered with no ill will. I just wanted to be sure you didn't intend to try and use my familiar against me.”

“It's the only reason you could enter...”

“Matt, oh shit, wait, I'm awake,” Foggy grumbled as the bed shifted when he sat up, “So, that's your brother?”

“Yeah... That's Mikey.”

“Mike Murdock, nice to meet you...”

“Don't worry about it, um, Lily was right here. Matt said she was yours. I guess she kinda saved my ass last night... I was trying to find someone that would help Matt out when he needed it and she sorta just, kamikazed me.”

“She wants to thank you for the nest,” Mike finally said as the little bat fluttered around to land on his shoulder and shuffle around squeaking, “Apple? Lily you know you're... you know what I am done with this argument, it's your own fault if you end up sick because you can't keep up with your diet. You chose a bat after all.”

Foggy snickered, “Yeah, Matt said the same thing. He wanted to kick her out last night but I refused, it was the least I could do for her helping me out of a rough situation, even if I did put myself in it with good intentions in mind.”

“Ah,” Mike grinned and swung his hand out to smack Matt's shoulder, “He's adorable... I can see why you like him.”

Matt snorted and glared, “Knock it off.”

“I'm just saying, he's adorable, and I can see why my little brother likes him.”

“Whatever you think that means, it doesn't. He's my dorm mate, and friend.”

“Well, in that case,” Matt actually looked like he wanted to cave in a certain someone's skull when Mike sidestepped him, “I know this is an unconventional meeting, but, I do owe you a boon for caring for my Lily last night. How about a drink sometime, my treat?”

Foggy was confused at the look on Matt's face when he kept looking to him, “Um, raincheck? We, uh, got class to get to this morning.”

“I'll hold you to that.”

Foggy could feel a chill creeping up his spine when Matt was all gritted teeth and clenched jaw as Mike headed toward the door. He finally risked scooting forward to reach out, “Hey, buddy, what was that?”

“My brother, flirting with you...”

“Not that, I mean, yeah that was totally obvious for anyone with working eyes, I mean just, the thing. I, I thought I was still dreaming but you weren't there and then you were suddenly in front of my bed.”

“Teleportation spell.”

“Spell? Wait you can actually, like, here and then gone?”

“How do you think I sneak in and out at night? I just wait until you're asleep and then, teleport.”

Foggy sighed, “Matt, you realize how much worry I wouldn't be having about you if I'd known you can literally just disappear and reappear at will?!”

Matt rolled his eyes, “Foggy, it doesn't work that way, I have to concentrate on where I'm going otherwise I have no destination. No clear destination, no teleportation.”

“Is, is that how he got in?”

Matt snorted, shaking his head, “No, Mike always was a little shit, he probably picked the lock. Since he meant no harm he didn't trigger any of my protection charms.”

“Um, what happens if those things Do go off?”

Matt winced, sighing, “Just, um, if you hear a higher pitched noise, like the really old computer start up tone? Close your eyes. Sudden bright lights don't bother me, and even severely suppressed I can hear the tone so you'll get the warning signal.”

“How many years have I gone without know this?!”

Matt sighed, “That's just a last ditch thing. Like the timed curse on my grimoire... My grimoire!” Matt suddenly dove for its place and started chucking things. “That mother fucker! Did he- okay, where is it?!”

“Wait, did he actually steal your book?”

Matt moved to start digging around under his bed, throwing out the heavy cold weather blankets he stored there, “He couldn't have taken it... It wouldn't let him take it from this room. But that little shit could have moved it.”

Foggy stood and started looking around, “Um, wait, uh, could he make it look like something else? Like, a glamour?”

Matt froze, eyes darting before his head tilted as he seemed to be scanning the room, “He could have... But I'd still Feel the difference. What doesn't match,” he whispered as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath while Foggy double checked the textbooks sitting out on the table.

“None of these don't match they all feel like our normal text books.”

“A good glamour will look and feel, even smell as real as you or I am, but it wouldn't Feel the same to me. Because I can Feel the spell wrapped around it.”

“Matt, you cleanse, and protect our room all the time, are you sure you can suss out that over all the other magic that's been done here?”

“Yes,” Matt finally grinned as he suddenly got up and started walking toward the fridge, “Shit, Foggy, can you grab my sage stick?”

“Yeah, hold on, I think I saw it fly over... got it,” Foggy fumbled to grab it out from under a blanket and grabbing for the box of matches in Matt's desk. “Here, do I need to do anything before lighting it?”

Matt shook his head, his hands running over their mini fridge while he frowned and nearly growled while Foggy tried to get the Sage smoldering, “I know it's here, I just can't tell exactly where.”

“There's a couple magnets on the fridge and there's a grocery list on top of it. Any of that sound out of place?”

Matt blinked as his hands finally reached the page, “Yes... You always put the list on the fridge, as a reminder. And I don't use this type of list, so I wouldn't put it on the fridge.”

Foggy frowned as Matt picked up the paper, “Here's your Sage, it's already smoldering if you can't tell.” Matt held the smoldering bundle in front of his face and blew on it as he lifted the paper closer, “Holy, wait, stop!” Foggy's hand on his wrist, “I don't know how to explain it, but it showed me the outline of your book, like, a ghost image. If you put it closer to that ember you'll set it on fire.”

“Shit. I, I can't remember the counter spell for a glamour...”

“Well, um, the Sage revealed it's a glamour. Isn't a glamour dispelled once it's been seen through?”

“Not this type. If it was a person, yeah, but object glamouring is different.”

Foggy sighed, “Well, I guess I really am going out for drinks with your brother then.”

“Foggy...”

“Look, I'll be alright, and I'll see if I can get him to drop the glamour on your book. You just, try to figure out a way that doesn't involve flames to break that spell.. so if you can figure it out before the date, I can cancel.”


	13. Late Night Drink

Matt had given up pacing hours ago, he'd resorted to trying and failing to study, his fingers had played over the same line and just not interpreting it. Foggy was supposed to be back hours ago... Lily had flown over to perch on the foot board and groom herself, her presence his brother's promise reinforced that he would return Foggy unharmed. If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't have his book, he'd have already tracked them down and drug his best friend back home, away from his brother and that life. He jumped when he heard the lock click open, earning an annoyed chirps as Foggy stumbled through it, “Hey, buddy! Sorry,” Foggy's voice was slurring so bad, it made Matt worry even more. “Got the thing, it's written here, can't even begin to pronounce that so, can that wait for tomorrow?”

Matt smiled at the napkin held out to him, “Yeah, Foggy, the book can wait, what, what happened?”

“Took me to this place, they really know how to treat a guy. Told 'im it was too expensive but he insisted. You woulda loved it, but hated the drinks. Couldn't even get a basic beer... And the owner! Total Narcissus. Mike said he was ancient, I'd believe it. Looked like he walked right outa one of those books.” Matt stumbled when Foggy leaned a bit harder against him than he intended, “Don't know how anyone could think he was you... Said you two would trade places a lot, I can't see it. He'd try, but I could tell. He's got your voice down, but he doesn't move like you. He tried to play off as Matty but he can't pull it off.”

Matt smirked as he helped his friend into bed, “He can't?”

“See, like that! Can't get the smirk right, or the little flush and shy smile, like now. He's a wolf that knows when he sees a sheep, you at least know how to act the part. He couldn't blend in like you can.”

Matt snickered, “You're drunk and babbling, and I don't think a cane is easy to blend in in a crowd.”

Foggy huffed, “You know how to be the center of attention when you want to or need to be and how to just be a blip in the data when you don't. That man has no off switch.”

Matt nodded, “I will give you that, he does not have an off switch.”

“He needs to learn some pointers from you on flirting...” Foggy mumbled as he snuggled into his pillow, “You're way better at it.”

Matt blinked and smirked, “Oh?”

“Mhm, sorry buddy, but got another date though. Just grabbin' dinner. Was the price of the spell.”

Matt's eyes actually twitched, “Was that his price or your offer?”

“Price, I offered to buy the next round. Fig'r'd as pricey as the place was it'd be worth the price of the spell, g'ss it wasn't.”

Matt smirked, “Did you tell him you were taken?”

Foggy turned as Matt pulled the blanket over him, “Mhm, told him I'm datin' someone. He said you hadn't put a ring on it yet so I was fair game. Told him it wasn't you, he didn't believe me.”

Matt couldn't stop himself from coiling loose strands of hair around his fingers before brushing it out of Foggy's face, “Go to bed, buddy. You're going to really feel that in the morning.”

Foggy tried to hum, but it came out more of a snore as Matt tucked him in before checking to be sure Lily had gone off to find her Warlock. He finally climbed into bed himself, more than happily putting up with the loud snoring going on across the room.


	14. Moving Forward

Matt was in something of a tizzy. The semester was coming to a close, they were going to be losing their semi-permanent housing after that. They were graduating from their schooling and would need a permanent, or at least semi-permanent home afterward. He was looking into apartments, but everything was far more then the room and board had been the last several years. His fingers stopped on a listing, making him snicker and his head tilting as he grinned, it was listed at least half of what the market was running, and several hundred feet of floor space more than the shoeboxes he'd been looking through going for twice as much. His head shot up at the sound of Foggy's phone ringing, he winced and grumbled about him leaving it on the charger as he got up to poke at the key to answer it, “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Franklin Nelson?”

Matt winced at the very professional voice, “This is his phone but he's currently away from it, is this something I can take a message on or would you like to call back and leave a voice mail?”

“It's about an interview date for the internship position at Landman and Zack, something tells me there might not be another call.”

Matt stumbled, “Give me one moment I'll take down a note, he can call back if he has any questions.”

“Smart move,” was whispered softly, making Matt grin when the professionalism was dropped just enough to let him know she was probably doing him a huge favor. “Wednesday, at 2pm.”

Matt nodded as he clicked on his keyboard, “This Wednesday or is it farther out?”

“This Wednesday. If it needs to be rescheduled, I would suggest having a good reason.” Matt immediately liked her even more. Code for, 'I know it's short notice, just make it worth a reschedule if it has to be.'

“Alright, is there a specific call back number to get more information or is the main line where he should call?”

“The main is fine, just mention it's about an interview, it should help him along quicker.”

“Okay, I will make sure he gets this, thank you.”

Matt was grinning at the, “Have a nice day,” before the line disconnected and chuckling and even bouncing, then he frowned and sighed as he set the phone back on the charger. He had to wait to tell Foggy the good news, so he headed back to his computer to check out the 'Totally not haunted, we swear' apartment listing and pulling up his budget, trying to figure out if he could swing it.

After at least two email correspondence requesting an in person viewing, they were quick to respond and reluctant at first but Matt already had his teeth sunk deep into this idea and he wasn't going to let it go, and at least one phone call to their office to assure them there was no way they were ever going to get someone to sign a lease without 'seeing' the space in person, he had a date to view and was even informed it would be ready for move in within a month. Apparently they were in the process of moving in fresh appliances. The pot had already been sweet, this just made him wonder what the actual hell was going on with the apartment. Hell, with his upbringing and knowledge it could quite literally be a portal to hell...

Foggy finally shuffled in, waving fast food and drinks, “Sorry about that, everyone on campus decided they all had to be at the same place at the same time!”

Matt was smirking and chuckling, “You left your phone...”

“Oh, shit, yeah I totally forgot. Any calls?”

“Yep, and you'll never guess.”

Foggy groaned, “Mom talking your ear off about Dad's IBS?”

Matt shook his head, “No, she saves that for you.” He nodded and thanked him for setting one of the bags in his lap, “Landman and Zack called.”

“Holy- yeah?”

“Yep, Wednesday 2pm. Though a little bird told me that if you had something conflicting, make sure it was a hell of a reason to get it rescheduled.”

“Oh shit! Matt, this is really happening!”

“Yeah, buddy, it is.”

“This is Awesome! Did you get a call to?”

“Nope,” Matt shook his head, “But I did find an awesome apartment. I've got a viewing on it this Friday. Um, can you do a 5pm viewing with me? Help describe the layout for the when Realtor inevitably panics?”

“Oh yeah, buddy I am so there!”

Matt smiled before his smile fell, “So, how was dinner?”

Foggy blinked and snickered as he flailed the crinkling back, “Price was dinner, I bought him Burger King then headed home. Hey, I still paid up.”

Matt blinked and chuckled as he stood to take his food to the desk, “I'm going to hug you, buddy.”

“I will happily take that hug,” Foggy laughed as he reached out to wrap his arms around his best friend, “He tried for some high end place, like reservation and everything.”

“Oh? Classy.”

“I flat out told him, I'm a broke ass white college student. There's no fucking way I'm affording this.”

“So you busted out all the big guns and went with Burger King?”

“He said the same thing, I told him it was either that or PBJs, I'm still apartment hunting... And about to my dorm.”

“Oh, I know him well enough he offered to let you stay with him.”

“Eh, he got like 3 words out about that I just gave him the 'tf' look, he kinda lost steam after that. I think he finally figured out I am Not looking to date Matt-light.”

He cracked up, “Matt-what?”

“Matt-light. You know, all the hotness and none of the awesome?”

Matt actually hid his face in his hands, trying not to crack up and hide the heat burning in his cheeks, “Matt-light.”

“Hey, it's true. There can only be one Matt, and he's you.”


	15. Home (or at least getting there)

“Matt, it's huge,” Foggy barely whispered as they entered the apartment. “It's, high ceilings, bare support beams... A full wall of... windows. They're not the single window panel style though, these are the small squares stacked like bricks type of window banks. It looks like a loft converted. There's a full open kitchen and dining space, open to a living area and then a room, a room larger than our entire dorm in the back. I think it's double the size. There's no way you can afford this,” Foggy whispered.

Matt grinned, “Walk me through it?”

The realtor had stood back, smirking as Foggy essentially did his job for them. “Okay we have walls to our sides, framing the door for privacy.” Matt's hand ran along them as Foggy stepped away to let him explore, “We have a straight shot into the living area, the kitchen is to the right, the wall on our right runs straight to the fridge. The counter starts to the left of that. The kitchen, kinda wraps around, when you reach the brick wall it turns again to an island with the sink in it.”

Matt's hand followed the story as he found the handing cabinets. “Does it look like a good space to move around?”

“Oh yeah, Matt, you sure this is the right place?”

Matt nodded as he opened one of the cabinets and reached back before following the frame up to find they were two shelf cabinets. “Yeah, this is the right place. So, bedroom?”

“Right,” Foggy stepped out of the way as he let Matt pick his way around the island, his hand checking the counter space as he did and seeing if it was flush against the outer wall of the apartment. “Those are brick, so, mind your fingers.”

Matt nodded and smiled as his fingers walked along the brick outer wall instead of just sliding over them, “And the segmented windows?”

“Mhm, they go all the way up.”

Matt's hand reached higher, fingers catching on each of the squares before he just couldn't reach higher, “How tall are the ceilings?”

“Um, I can't eye ball that buddy. Those beams look to be at least 10 feet up though... It arches, it sweeps downward on the brick side and upward on the door side.”

They flinched and turned toward the deep cough, “17 feet is the highest points of the ceiling, but it is listed as 15. I think that's a bit of an exaggeration but I can say that lowest point of the room in the loft is 5 feet high.”

Matt and Foggy blinked, “Loft?”

“There is a staircase with room access. There's a small loft area just to the right of that access door. When you're ready to see it I'd be happy to show it to you. It's a bit plain but there is a guard rail on the side, and it over looks the bedroom. I think the last tenant used it as an office or something.”

Matt was smirking, “Does it have access to the windows?”

Foggy nudged him and shuffled, “You could keep your garden up there. Or on the roof.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

“There are a few windows up there but I don't think they face the right way for good light. We'll have to check it out.”

Foggy showed him where the stairs were shortly after that, “It's... 6 feet wide, I think, I mean, we could probably stretch out up here, but it'd not all that much space. Would make a good small office space though.”

“The rail continues?”

“Yep, all the way to the other wall, which the walls up here are brick so mind your fingers.”

Matt ended up following the rail and holding his other hand up, frowning at the slight warmth he could feel, “I can't tell if this would be a good spot for them.”

Foggy shuffled behind him as he seemed to be looking things over before shaking his head, “It wouldn't be the best. Maybe for those picky shaded herbs you have. You'd probably need another UV lamp or two for the whole lot though. But, I think I found out why this apartment is so cheap....”

Matt smirked, “About time you figured it out, Fogs, I've been hearing it buzzing and flickering the entire time.”

“Welp, yeah, about the only person that would definitely want a place like this is someone with a bank account in the negatives or someone that can't see that thing.”

Matt snickered as his buddy stepped closer, “You think we can knock a little more off?”

“Oh, we could at least argue for leniency on the rent hike if we get it on a multi-year lease.”

“Hm, yeah. So, I think I like it.”

“It's gonna be a bitch with all this open floor plan to heat in the winter... And there's like zero insulation on the outer walls, which you have 3 bare ones by the way.”

“Yeah, well, it's still a hell of a deal. I was actually expecting to have to cast something out of this place.”

“Huh?”

Matt chuckled as he found his way back to the stairs, “Why do you think I brought my cleansing gear, Foggy?”

“Murdock, did you seriously drag me to a viewing for a suspected haunted house?!”

“Eh, sort of?”

“Oh, I will get you back for this!”

Matt shook his head and chuckled at the confused Realtor, “We'll take it.”


	16. Moving Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sorry I had to include some things, chapter includes some sly corporate ableism. Bullshit tricks employers try to pull on 'less than stellar' candidates as a way of getting them to back out rather than outright showing their ableism

Matt stumbled, grinning and chuckling, “Foggy, I told you to watch that step...”

“You shoved me into it, just slow down buddy!”

“We're holding up the line, come on, Fogs, let's pick up the pace.”

“I'm currently walking backwards, carrying a couch, give me a break.”

“You're going to break your ankle if you're not paying attention.” Foggy continued to grumble while Matt felt the weight being pulled forward, “You were the one saying I needed a couch.”

“Well you DO, plus we haven't even gotten you a bed yet so you at least need something comfortable to work on at home. Alright buddy, we're moving for real, keep the pace even.”

Matt was grinning as he counted out Foggy's steps, at least he was consistent. They had to shuffle around the first landing, getting the couch turned, “Want me to take lead?”

“Nah, I got it, plus if I'm heading up and the couch is behind me, you take the brunt of the weight.”

Matt snicked as he leaned against the arm, “Cheeky.”

“Oh, hey, you get your protections up and running yet?”

Matt grunted when he reached to start carrying the couch again, “Not all of them, there's a lot of cracks I have to get to.”

“What, isn't it just the four corners?”

“No, those were just... flimsy protections. These are for your Home. I've got them, Foggy, they don't even really need to be in place until after I'm inhabiting it.”

“Only got a few weeks before we're out of the dorms, clock's ticking.”

Matt hummed and grunted when Foggy's grip slipped, making the couch land hard, “You good?”

“Yep, tripped, I'm good, you got it?”

“Yeah, just pick it up when you can.”

Foggy grunted ans Matt shifted, balancing the couch as they headed up another patch of steps, “You got your key, right?”

“Yeah, but I'm the but end of this show at the moment. Just, set it down easy when we get there I'll get around.”

“Hey, couldn't you just like, poof this thing up here?”

Matt snickered and broke out into a wide grin, “I was wondering how long it would take you to think of that.”

“Wait, you could?!”

Matt actually felt his strength waning as he laughed, “It doesn't work like that, Fogs. I haven't even been here often enough to concentrate well enough to try it. Plus it's annoying just having something in your hands much less this thing.”

“And we still have to do this with your bed when we get it...”

Matt nodded as he felt Foggy settle the thing down on his floor, “Foggy...” He nodded toward the couch he was still holding while Foggy shuffled and pulled it farther onto the landing. “Thanks.”

“Sorry, I had to let my arms rest.”

Matt finally go the couch out of the way as he grabbed for his keys and unlocked the door, “Last stretch, come on.”

Foggy whined, “There had better be booze when we're done with this.”

“Oh there is, it's in the fridge. Come on,” Matt smirked as he lifted his side, letting Foggy set the pace as he slowly followed after his into the apartment.

Foggy groaned and whined when Matt's phone started spouting off an unknown number, “Seriously? Telemarketers have the worst timing.”

“Yeah just set it down, it's in the apartment.” Matt felt Foggy set his end down before letting his touch the floor and grab his phone, “Hello?”

“Hello, is the Matthew Murdock?”

“This is him, what can I help you with?” He was going through his mind, trying to recall what all he had out in the world. Possibly an assistive housing application that a helpful insurance member had sent out since he was technically unemployed and days away from being out of school.

“I'm with Landman and Zack, um, you submitted an application for internship with us. I'm sorry to say this but it seemed your application slipped through the cracks and we hadn't been able to get in contact with you about your interview until today.”

Matt froze, “Oh? When was it?”

“It's today, can you swing it in 2 hours? I'm trying to see if I can push it back and give you more time since it was a mix up on our end, but I can't find a way to push it any farther.”

Matt actually had to pull the phone away from his mouth to growl before nodding, “Yes, I can deal with that. 2 hours, main reception?”

“Yes,” he heard a slight shuffle of papers and an 'oh', “we can help you from there if you need it.”

“Thank you for contacting me, I've got to get moving.”

“Yes, again, I'm sorry about the inconvenience.”

Matt hummed and hung up before that could waste any more of his time, “Foggy, we've gotta go, now. I'll owe you the beer after.”

“What was that about,” Foggy actually yelped when Matt grabbed his arm and started dragging him after him, “Buddy slow down, what's going on?”

“Landman and Zack 'forgot' my interview was today and just now alerted me of it.”

“Those fuckers, Matt, wait the door!”

Matt growled a locking spell under his breath and it slammed closed when they got halfway down the stairs, “Double time it, Fogs, let's go.”

“You owe me two beers, buddy. Fuck the walk let's grab a cab, you gotta get showered and changed.”

“Yeah,” Matt flagged down a cab the moment he got to the curb.


	17. Reconciling

Matt flopped back on his couch, grinning as he popped the cap off his beer, “I need a coffee table.”

“You need to shove over, Murdock, you only have the couch. Make some room,” Foggy swiped at his legs, knocking them off the couch before plopping down next to him, “I take it, it went well?”

“You shoulda heard them, Foggy. Their hearts just kept beating harder, and harder. They were trying, and trying to get me to trip up, give the wrong answer, they were looking for Any reason to check the box. They couldn't find one. Let's see if I slip through the cracks again on my start date.” Matt took a swig and smiled, “When are you starting?”

“Um, Monday? Let me check the calendar, no Tuesday. Did you get any paperwork to sign?”

Matt winced, “They tried. No one had a Braille copy, I flat out refused to sign anything I couldn't read. Told them to email me anything they needed signed. I can at least read it off my computer.”

“This is gonna be a shitstorm, isn't it?”

“Yep,” Matt smirked and clinked his bottle against Foggy's, “We are officially part of the big leagues.”

“Well we will be once you get that email.”

“Mhm,” Matt hummed and smiled, “This means I have to plan shopping around the internship.”

“At least it's paying.”

“Oh?” Matt blinked, “Huh, that's another thing they forgot to mention.”

“You didn't ask?”

Matt shrugged, “We gotta have our hours working under actual lawyers before we can pass the Bar anyway. I honestly didn't want to push given they were already amped on kicking me at the first chance they got.”

“Gettin' a little paranoid buddy?”

Matt shook his head, “Wish I was. Over heard them before I got into the conference room... No, I'm not going to quote it, just, like I said, they were looking for any reason to check the box.”

Foggy sighed, “At least it's paying.”

“Yep, it's paying. And it's moving toward getting to the Bar. I'll just deal with it until then.”

“Then, Murdock and Nelson!”

Matt snickered, “I'm telling you, Nelson and Murdock sounds better.”

“M comes before N...”

“Yeah, but Nelson and Murdock just, feels better when you say it.”

“Alright, buddy, Nelson and Murdock it is.”

Matt finally huffed and stood up, “I should get started on the sealing and protecting, I gotta move in next week. Did your dad mention anything about that bedroom set?”

“Oh, yeah, he's only got the single right now. I told him it was an option but after so many years you'd probably want at least a full. He's checking with some buddies. I think his poker buddy upgraded to a king so he might have a full or queen he's getting rid of.”

“Getting married?”

Foggy shifted, “Divorced, actually. It's a long story, it's better that way, trust me.”

“Oh, so the type that doesn't have a betting pool on when they're getting back together?”

“Nope,” Foggy shrugged as he sipped his beer. “Though my money is on 'Never' with a big old side of 'him laughing if she does try to come back'...”

“Ouch, that rough?”

“Yep, okay, so, when are we gonna call in the Nelson clan to help us move your little herb garden? Ya gonna put in a table or shelves for them since we already gotta have a UV rig going up?”

Matt sighed, “I'll probably just work off a card table. If everything works out I might eventually put up little window box shelves or something.”

Foggy smiled, “Wanna go thrifting this weekend?”

Matt sighed, “I always have to disinfect everything.”

“So, hardware store?”

Matt snorted, “I don't know if the hardware store will have the gardening supplies I need, Foggy.”

“Eh, wouldn't hurt, plus we need the UV rig set up anyway.”

“True.”

Foggy jumped at the knock on the door, “Ugh, did you order something?”

“Nope.”

“Forget to sign something?”

Matt shook his head and smirked as the knocking sounded again, “Nope. Fuck off Mike,” he called a little loud as he took another swig.

Foggy frowned, “Mike's here?”

“Yep, he's the one knocking.” Matt sighed when Foggy got up to head for the door. “Foggy, just leave it. He'll fuck off.”

“Well, I mean, it is rude.”

Matt sighed and slumped back down onto the couch. “Fine, but it's on your head, not mine.”

Foggy rolled his eyes as he opened the door. “What-” He blinked at the pot tucked in one arm and a bag in the other. “What's this?”

Matt winced and snorted, “Did you actually bring Belladonna into my home?”

Mike sighed, “You mean you don't have any? Every Witches garden isn't complete without it. Foggy, don't touch it, it is poisonous, and whatever you do, don't eat the berries.”

Matt had already rushed over, nudging Foggy away from the plant, “Are you serious right now?!” He scooped up the pot and quickly carried it to the back of the apartment, as far away from people and food prep area as possible. “You Know I don't deal in deadly plants.”

“Well, I would have, if you'd let me in.”

“You literally sold your soul to the Devil just to get away from me! What was I supposed to do, send a fucking owl to you?”

Mike snorted, “I wouldn't be surprised if your familiar would be an owl, honestly.”

Foggy groaned and rubbed his eyes before flicking his hair out of his way, “Alright, both of you... I'm just letting you know right now, if this were my family I'd let you two just duke it out but since it's not and I don't know all the background I am planting my ass right here on the couch because if I know one thing for certain, someone's going to get a black eye and I'm not going to be hearing about it in tomorrow's crime beat. So, just, cool it the both of you and actually speak in words and sentences and not sarcasm!”

Foggy sighed hard when Matt was tense when he set on the couch beside him. Okay, silent treatment... Fine, as long as someone speaks up once they get all their angry words in a row and maybe even chill out a bit he could work with that. He slumped forward when Mike finally circled to set at his other side, Matt was glaring when he had to shove over when Foggy instinctively scooted toward him to make room. Okay, they're in the same space, still got a buffer but we can work with that. Mike finally sighed, “I didn't leave _you,_ Matty. At least I didn't intend to leave you. I wanted you to go with me, you chose not to.”

“Dad warned us, all our lives he warned us.”

“Yeah, I know, in truth... I don't regret it. But, I wanted you to go with me. You chose to say.”

“It was Home-”

“The Mortal Realm has done nothing for us, Nothing, Matty! What did it do? Leave us in poverty, scrapping for food and rent and just trying make it to the next month with a roof over our head! It took Dad from us, took your eyes from you! And why? Because you did a good deed and saved a man's life!”

Matt snickered, “You were mad at God, so you sold your soul to the Devil, was it worth it?”

Mike sighed, “No, because I lost my brother...”

Foggy finally sighed, “Alright, so, if you two are not going to be trying to beat each other senseless, I do need to finish up packing up the dorm.”

Matt shifted and sat up, “You haven't found an apartment yet.”

He shrugged, “Theo's got a place above the old butcher shop. I figured I can crash there until something pulls through.”

Matt actually let out a whine, “Foggy, this place is pretty big and kind of quiet. If you wanted to crash here. I know that bedroom is more than big enough for two. We'd have to stick with singles, but it's more space than the dorm.”

Foggy smiled, “I still have packing up to do. I'll see you tomorrow. Just, no fist fighting allowed in the apartment.”

Matt's brow rose, “No promises.”


	18. Housewarming

Matt shuffled to the side when a small, young, and over excited young Nelson flew past him into the building, “Slow down, don't trip,” was immediately called as Foggy grabbed his shoulder, “Ya good, buddy?”

“Yeah, just, startled me is all.” He winced as he felt a slight slosh at the bottom of the larger pot he was carrying. “Did someone water these?”

“It looked a bit dry, dear,” he chuckled at mama Nelson's voice. “Did I give it too much?”

Matt's fingers rubbed at the underside of the pot, hoping the clay would dry it out quicker, “Just a little, but it did just get moved to a larger pot so it'll soak in.”

“Alright, everyone, grab a pot or box and line up.” Papa Nelson instructed as Matt started up the stairs, “And remember, Matt tells you were they go, don't just leave them in the floor for the man to trip over or set somewhere he has to find them...”

“Yes sir.”

Matt was chuckling when he got his door unlocked, there was an entire conga line of Nelsons heading up the stairs behind him while Foggy snickered, “I didn't think you had this many plants.”

Matt shrugged, “Neither did I. Are we sure they didn't find some along the way?”

“Oh, I know grams is responsible for some of these...”

“Ah, she knows what she's doing then. I was wondering where the hell this bay plant came from.” Matt frowned as he started up the stairs and tilted his head, “Foggy, did you bring in some gifts while I was gone?”

“No? I mean, define gifts.”

Matt actually blanched when he identified some of the smells and shifting he heard as they headed up the stairs, “The roof access door is cracked open...” He double timed it up the stairs while Foggy panicked and stopped the line.

“Um, Matt has at least one plant he doesn't want anyone near. Let, let him move it first. I wouldn't want any of the kids getting curious and end up with a rash or something,” or dead from Belladonna poisoning...

Matt was carefully stepping around the loft, his nose crinkling as he tapped the potted Belladonna plant before carefully shifting, a few more were there. His fingers tapped against the pots and he frowned as he stepped toward the guard rail, “Foggy, can you give me a hand up here?”

“Sure, buddy, we're putting your plants in the kitchen for now until we can sort out where you want them.”

“Okay, thanks. I can move them after we get everything settled up here.” Something was outside the roof access door, there were too many options for what it was, but it seemed a bush plant of some kind. “Bring gloves,” he called, shuffling over to pat at the small box of supplies he used for trimming and maintaining his small garden when he started moving in.

Foggy was already heading up the stairs, “Alright, buddy, what do you need to know?”

Matt's hand brushed a pot, “It's flowering, but it's not the Belladonna plant. I don't know the scent.”

“Um, looks like small bell flowers hanging from a main stem? White, actually the leaves look like lilies almost...”

Matt sighed, “Lilies? White bell shaped flowers, sweet grown on one main stem. Can you look up Lily of the Valley? Do they look the same?”

“Sure, buddy. Was the another one?”

“I already know what this one is... Be very careful with it,” Matt mumbled as his fingers tapped the pot containing Monkshood that had warned him about why he needed to be careful in the first place. “This one needs to be quarantined. Keep it out of reach of everyone. Even a broken stem is dangerous with it.”

“What is it?”

“Wolf's bane.”

“Mike's been back then...”

“Yeah, he left something outside too, which is why there's a draft up here.”

Foggy sighed as he took a look outside the door before grumbling and pulling the small piece of wood used to prop the door open. “Um, it's a bush?”

Matt nodded, “It's Rowan. It won't stay a bush if it's not kept up on tripping and management.”

“Is it-”

Matt shook his head, “It's edible, and used in various things. But, it's cumbersome to have in an apartment.”

Foggy sighed, “Is it something that can cause problems if we keep it out there?”

Matt shrugged, “It will be effected by the season, and eventually might break through the pot and start creeping roots into the roof?”

Foggy sighed and groaned, “Okay, so it can currently stay out there, because this thing looks fucking heavy... Maybe we can move it inside under the stairs?”

Matt shrugged and smirked, “That should be a good amount of head space for it. We'd definitely need a UV light for it there though.”

“Okay, so, quarantine plants?”

Matt shrugged and paced a few steps, “I have no idea, Foggy!”

“Alright, alright. We'll, yeah, we'll sort out up here after, at least the herb garden has been moved out of the dorm, so, they can be maintained and we have time to figure this out.”

Matt nodded and sighed, “There's a closet, isn't there? It's under the stairs leading to the roof access for outside the apartment?”

“Oh, yeah, I honestly thought you'd use that for your little witch's brewing and ritual gear, but, yeah it's there, it's not all that big though. I'm not even sure you can fully stand up in it.”

“That'll work as a quarantine. I, honestly don't think I have anything else really I can think of using it for.”

“Alright, so, looks like we got some relocation to do then we can get things all set up right up here.”


	19. Plot Twist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Possible trigger warning, lawyers discussing a case involving rape (No details only mentioning that Yeah There is a case) verses an attempt at a suit/case of false allegations as well as the fact that Defense Lawyer's job is defending their client (whether or not they want to punch them in the face after hearing the facts not withstanding)

Matt was grumpy, sore and beyond exhausted when he settled into the desk across from Foggy, “What's on the roster?”

“Sexual assault charges. Claims are against a CEO that had taken out an underling and apparently something happened.”

Matt sighed as he rubbed his eyes, “Is this a clear cut instance of buyer's remorse? Or-”

“According to this, it's Or...” Foggy grumbled as he held out the stack of Braille pages, “Just, hope you haven't had breakfast.”

Matt grumbled his fingers ran over the, honestly disgusting, information, “This isn't buyer's remorse...”

“We've been through that, buddy, you feeling okay? You look like you're about to fall asleep.”

“Just, difficult processing day. The apartment was too quiet and the world too loud with you spending the night at your new place.”

“Oh, um, maybe try some of your tea before bed? Maybe that'll help.”

Matt hummed and winced at the words under his fingers, “I, I honestly can't do this right now. I'm just going to mention offering a settlement.”

“Buddy, remember where we are, settlement is in the vocabulary but it is a four letter word in this world. Settlement means Guilty, and these people don't settle for Guilty.”

Matt grumbled, “He can settle for never have his manhood work again or making that woman's life a little easier for what he put her through,” but he sighed heavily and tried to detach from the words on the page, trying to just, pick it apart like a knot and honestly, he hoped he couldn't unravel it. He might work for the wrong side of this argument, but it didn't mean he couldn't make it at least look like a fight.

Matt was in the middle of a long chain of information, background work on the victim, when his phone started spouting “Mike”, he frowned and blinked as he reached into his pocket and frowned at it, “Foggy did you give Mike my phone?”

Foggy was in the middle of trying to clear whatever corporate evil he'd been dealing with when he mumbled, “Nope.”

Matt sighed as he dismissed the call and checked their office line to make sure it was still working just in case, before turning his phone to silent. It was a mistake... It took 3 more dismissed called before he tossed the damn thing into the desk draw and tried not to growl or snarl when Foggy snickered when that made it worse and much more obvious. “Shut up.”

Foggy snorted, “I didn't say anything.”

“You were, thinking it.”

Foggy chuckled as he shifted to quickly grab the phone that was now rattling the entire lower section of Matt's desk, smacking the hand away that reached to grab for it, “Murdock's phone, Nelson speaking.”

“Foggy, put Matt on the phone, this is an emergency.”

Foggy frowned as Matt shook his head at the phone held out to him, “From the look of it, he can hear you just fine, what's the emergency?”

“They're trying to excommunicate me.” Matt's spine stiffened at his brother's words, “Someone saw 'me' when I was visiting... entering the church. I, I can't make my defense without drawing Matt into this. I, told them I was visiting family, and that my childhood had that church as a large part of it because of where I grew up, but- They're still trying to excommunicate me. I'm bound to our cousin's house until my hearing. Matt, please, I need help here.”

Matt finally reached out, taking the phone, “Your voice is a lot more panicked than just being cast out of the church.”

“You don't understand, Matty, I need your help but I can't involve you in this. The- In Our Bible, twins, identical and mirror, are... very complicated.”

“Meaning?”

“If I out you, they might try something worse than excommunicating us. Hold on, what's the words. Um, One Egg, One Seed, One Soul. They classify true twins as one soul carried and shared by two bodies. So, my signing the book and your refusal, it's a breach of... contract by me.”

“Because you promised something you don't have.”

“Because I promised something I only have half of, knowing full well I don't have soul ownership.”

Matt tapped his fingers against his desk, “What's the punishment for fraud?”

“Matt, there's no 'fraud'... I swore my allegiance- I just, I fear if you're discovered, they might have an ace in the hole. A task, given to a Witch or Warlock by the Dark Lord. They may try to force me to bring you into the fold.”

Matt winced, “Where are you bound?”

“Massachusetts, at our cousin's home. Do, do you remember dad talking about them?”

Matt sighed, “He said, to watch out for Zelda, she's very devout, but Hilda helped him escape away after his excommunication. She's got a good heart.”

“She, she's offered help, but right now, without a game plan, there isn't much help she can offer. She, she's brought me some of the Old books, the Law as stated by the church and- We have an escape plan, but you're not going to like it.”

“I already don't like it,” Matt grumbled, “Foggy, what's the chance of getting some time off to go deal with this?”

Foggy shrugged, “I don't know, buddy. I mean, if it's an emergency there might be leniency but we just really got settled here. I don't know- I mean, they already tried to get you to back out once, right?”

Matt sighed, “I really don't want to deal with this...”

“Don't worry, buddy, you won't be alone.”

“Foggy, it's, it's Witch law, not Mortal law.”

“Eh, tomato... wait what's the opposite of tomato?”

“Hell,” Matt grumbled, “When's the trial,” he mumbled into the phone and sighed when he got the deadline of a week. “Alright, I guess we'll be there soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At what point should I officially tag this a CAOS crossover?  
> (I seriously need to know because it looks like at least the sisters will be involved)


	20. The Devil has left the Kitchen

Matt had a migraine trying to start when the old model car rumbled up. “Hello, oh, you must be Matthew.” The voice was kind, making him smile and nod as the car door creaked open, “I'm Hilda, come along, Michael has been pacing trenches around the kitchen and if he keeps it up much longer he's liable to greet the Dark Lord himself soon.” Matt actually flinched, not expecting the casual talk of Satan as the smaller, kindly, slightly older woman stepped up. “Well? Come along, we can't dawdle.”

Matt nodded as he shifted his bag to his shoulder, “Foggy will be here in a minute, he had to use the bathroom. He didn't like feeling nauseous trying to use it on the train.”

“Foggy? Oh, your Familiar? Should I expect a pup or is he larger?”

Matt snorted and shook his head, “No, Foggy is... Mortal. I, didn't want to run the risk of traveling this far without some backup. He insisted and I didn't really put up that much of a fight.”

“Um, does he know?”

Matt nodded, “Yeah, Foggy knows. He's, he's been my roommate for years, so, he's trustworthy and he's aware.”

“Ah, so, no worries then.”

Matt winced when he heard Foggy's voice grumbling as a door swished shut, “I do have one, can- can you make sure he's safely away from... everything, when the trial starts?”

Hilda shifted back, “I, I can try? But, I'm a character reference I suppose is the word you'd use in Mortal Law. I'm supposed to be there for it. I did help raise him, after all, well, after the age of 16.”

Foggy shifted through the station door, “Matt, there you are. How's the headache?”

Matt smiled and shifted when Foggy stepped up to his side, “The fresh air is helping, but it's still building up.”

“Oh, hello miss.”

Matt snickered at Foggy's 'We're alright, thanks for looking out for my buddy' voice, “This is my cousin, Hilda.”

“Oh, I finally get to meet one of the Murdock cousins! Hi, I'm Foggy Nelson.”

“Hilda Spellman, nice to meet you, I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“We all do,” Foggy grumbled and shook his head as he shifted his own bag, “So, where we heading?”

“Home,” Hilda smiled as she headed for the car, Matt snickered as he reached out to automatically grab for Foggy's arm before following.

Matt was trying to doze, his head kept drifting over toward Foggy's shoulder as they drove. “Hey, buddy,” the whisper still shocked him out of his doze, “Do you need your tea? I brought some.”

Matt shook his head, “No, it's not that bad since we're no longer riding on screeching rails, I'm just tired.”

“Once we get you two settled in, I'm sure we can hold off on the family meeting.”

Foggy shifted, Matt jerked awake at, “Buddy, we're here.”

“Hm? Oh, okay,” he reached up to rub at his eyes and right his glasses, not knowing when he fell asleep.

“I got the bags, buddy, come on, you're on the far side.”

“Right,” Matt mumbled as he fumbled for the door handle, then shook his head when he realized it was high on the door instead of lower, “Right.” He was still groggy as he unfolded his cane before wincing at the common car dirt his hand kept finding as he followed around to the back of the car while Foggy stepped over to give him an arm. He still brushed his fingers off on his pants before taking it, even if it was pretty much perfectly clean to anyone with normal senses. “Where are we?”

“Oh, it's kinda like the Addams' family house, edge of town, graveyard, the works. It's a beautiful home. Older, with an elevated porch so there's several steps not just the common three or so. Nice big front porch and there's actually stained glass windows.”

Matt smiled when his cane found the first step, “Sounds nice.”

“It's beautifully kept too, like, not even a single nick in the trim.”

Matt hummed in agreement as his hand ran along the smooth banister, he couldn't stop the yawn as he heard Foggy calling out little details of information before he felt the swish of the door opening. “Uh huh.”

Foggy snickered, “So, want to rest or want the tour first?”

Matt startled when his cheek brushed the semi-scratchy material of Foggy's jacket before shaking his head, “I might need rest. I can't really feel the room very well right now.”

Foggy was snickering, shaking his head from the feel of it and whispering, “He won't remember half of this, he's in his groggy semi-conscious stage of sleeping. I'll run him back through it when he's fully awake.”

“The couch is this way, it should be easiest for him to find his way around from there. We have the guest restroom just through the viewing area should he wake up needing it.”

“Is it marked with braille?”

“Oh dear, no, but it is an engraved plaque labeled restroom... would he be able to read that?”

“Oh yeah, so long as there's a different between the lettering and background.” Matt was barely taking in the information, letting out a slightly wounded sound when the smell and feel of Home started shifting away from him when he settled on the couch. “I'm still here, buddy, I'm just getting a look to make sure I can tell you how to get to the bathroom so I don't tell you wrong and end up having you wonder around needing to pee.”

Matt shifted, curling up at the edge of the couch rather than laying down on it as his brain started trying to process the surrounding Not Home things, but Home came back, the tone familiar but the words meaningless as he reached for it and curled up next to it.

“He's had some rough nights. I don't think he's been sleeping well since I moved out. He has his focuses and helping things and I guess I was one of them.”

“Ah, poor dear, I'll make sure to get some nibbles for when he wakes up.”


	21. Lost Child of Night, Kin Found

Matt woke disoriented, the soft scratch across his shoulders and neck finally getting to the point of feeling like sandpaper constantly shifting against his exposed skin finally making his brain wake him up. “Mhm,” he hummed, confused at the chilled air circulating in the otherwise large area, “Foggy?”

He took a relieved breath as he threw the blanket off him, stumbling to his feet, “Oh, hey buddy, about time you woke up.”

“Whu- what time is it?”

Foggy winced, shuffling letting him know he was probably not paying attention to the time while he checked his watch, “5pm? Sorry, I was in the kitchen with Hilda helping make cookies with her niece. Did you know you had a little baby cousin?”

“I'm not a baby,” was called by a very young voice, earning hushing and giggling as Matt finally took into account the small patter of feet rushing in the next room.

“She's 7, she's adorable. She just got home from school a little while ago.”

Matt's neck was not happy with him, his back even less so as he shifted and tried to stretch out the angry kinks from sleeping weird. “I do?”

“Yeah, Hilda and Zelda are raising her... since her parents died.”

Matt froze in mid stretch before his hands dropped, “Oh, that's, that's nice of them.”

“Oh, don't make that face,” he actually jumped, knocking his knees on the couch when he turned toward Hilda's voice, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I mean, we didn't know. After Jack was excommunicated, well it was a common understanding that his Mortal wife lost the child. It's why he was excommunicated. Um, there was, a bit of a- disagreement on how it should be dealt with when he chose to stay with her. They decided on 2 requirements.”

Matt's hands reached out for the arm, automatically searching for his cane, “Oh?”

Hilda was nodding, “Yes, one- He was to be excommunicated for... cavorting with a Mortal and two- No other children would occur. Not for Jack or her.”

Matt frowned, “They were cursed?”

Hilda shuffled and clapped her hands together, “Sadly, that's usually how such things are dealt with.” She shuffled a bit more, “We didn't know, until Michael showed up at our door, and- he never said a word about you until, this really. So, the past can't change, but we couldn't really help when we didn't know about any of it going on.”

Matt smirked and nodded before tilting his head toward the pleasant scent starting to turn less than pleasant, “Your cookies are burning.”

Hilda let out a high pitched gasp as she rushed for the oven while Foggy nudged him and started showing him around properly. “Headache averted?”

Matt smiled and nodded, “Just, new place and things headache now.”

“I still have your tea if you want some, but I figured you're just paranoid enough to rather take the headache.”

“You know me so well.”

“Haven't seen Mike running around. Sabrina mentioned he usually helps her with her homework, but I guess he's off sulking.”

Matt shook his head, “From what I've heard, he's waiting for Zelda to see me. I hear she'd put a Reverend Mother to shame when it comes to her religion.”

“Ah, yeah, he's waiting for you to get the brunt before showing up like some black night, huh?”

“Probably.”

“Cookies are done, but they're still hot so they have to cool a bit,” Hilda's voice practically sang from the door way, “I hope you like peanut butter cookies.”

Matt sighed while Foggy smirked, “They're made a bit different than the ones you've had.”

Matt grumbled about peanut butter not fitting in right with baked goods while Foggy nudged him, “They smell nice, either way, but I think I'm going to pass on them, thank you Hilda.”

“Matt's one of those with very Strict rules about some types of foods. Peanut butter belongs in a sandwich, nothing else.”

“I make exceptions,” Matt grumbled.

“Only chicken satay, that's like it.”

Matt rolled his eyes before he blinked at the two people in the kitchen. “Hi,” he smiled and dropped his head lower at the small swish of a skirt while raising his hand at the small hand waving at him, “I'm Sabrina. Foggy said you were really tired from your trip, so we made some cookies.”

Matt chuckled, “I can smell that, they're peanut butter. But I thought I smelt something sweeter, like fruit.”

“Oh, those are the tarts,” Hilda shifted and shrugged as she lifted a rather loud clattering tray, “Stress baking.”

Matt chuckled, “Yeah, I guess this is definitely worthy of stress baking. Is that strawberry?”

She shifted as she set the tray down, “Um, yes, well it's mainly raspberry but I had to sub in some strawberry to finish off the shells. Ran out of preserves.”

“They smell wonderful, I'm glad they didn't burn.”

“Me too,” Hilda chuckled as she shifted around, setting a plate down on the table near an empty spot, “It's on the table right in front of you.”

Matt tapped the chair with his cane before he reached out and found the spot, “So, when is Zelda expected back? And is my brother going to hide out until she gets back?”

“Satan only knows when she's getting back. Had a bit of a strop about Michael bringing up the fact that it wasn't him going to the church but you. She, wasn't exactly happy about trying to pull that card... Be forewarned you may have a few reveal spells thrown at you when she gets home.”

Matt nodded, “I expect at least a glamour revealing spell. But, thanks for the warning.”


	22. Preparing for Court

Matt flinched when a small weight settled on the back of his shoulder, “Morning Lily, is Mike finally going to stop hiding from me?”

Lily was chatty as she climbed her way to his shoulder before reaching out at something Hilda was holding out to her, “It's all you get, you know you're supposed to eat insects.”

Matt snickered, “Yeah, she was always bad about that... Am I going to have juice on my shoulder?”

“Shouldn't.” Matt blinked at the plate set in front of him, “Bacon, eggs and pancakes. I didn't know how you preferred them so I just made them over about medium done and the pancakes are plain.”

Matt smiled and nodded, “Thank you.”

Mike finally shuffled in about 10 minutes later, “Morning Aunt Hilda.”

“Morning, about time you got up, the eggs are cold now.”

Mike mumbled as he flopped into an open chair before Lily chattered to him, “Traitor.”

Matt snorted, “You're the one that settled on a bat Familiar.”

“I didn't 'settle' on anything, Lily chose that form. She decided that since she'd essentially be looking out for two wayward Warlocks she'd need the extra sensitive ears to make sure we weren't getting into trouble.”

Foggy snorted, “We all know she chose that form because Matt could use her echolocation to help him navigate when he needed it, don't lie.”

The brothers turned toward him, frowning and tilting their heads, “Huh?”

He laughed and smacked Matt's shoulder, “Oh come on, it's obvious.”

Matt flinched and glared when Lily took off to flutter over to land on Foggy's shoulder and snickered at Mike's, “Oh, come on...”

He was grinning like a fool at the pleased chirp as Foggy held up a piece of his egg to her, “Careful, Foggy, wouldn't want to give her diarrhea.”

“She's a Familiar, not a normal bat, I doubt it'd have too much effect on her.”

“Morning, Aunt Hilda,” Sabrina's voice called as she rushed up to bounce at the plate set in front of her.

“Eat um, Sabrina, we'll be late for school if you dally.”

Sabrina was already half into her pancakes and humming while nodding, “Uh huh.”

Mike made a wooshing motion as Hilda headed over carrying coffee, “You're the best, Aunt Hilda.”

“So you say,” she chuckled as she smacked his shoulder, “You didn't help Sabrina with her homework last night.”

Mike groaned, “I'm sorry, 'brina, I just needed to rest and try and de-stress.”

Sabrina grabbed a drink before the glass set down against the table, “It's okay, I got it done... no thanks to you.”

Matt actually chuckled, “I helped her with it.”

Mike made a whine of noise, “'brina, how could you?”

“He knows how to explain words easier. And he knows tricks to remember how to spell them.” Mike grumbled before jerking back when Sabrina quickly got up to rush over to hug him, “I still love you though, don't worry. I'll see you after school.”

Hilda was chuckling as Sabrina rushed off to get her backpack. “We all do, whether my sister remembers it or not...” She stopped in mid step before, “Oh, and Lily's breakfast is in the flip top there on the counter, so, Matt doesn't open it by mistake...”

Matt could only nod, “I can hear them buzzing around in it.”

“I sealed them off just a bit ago, so that should chill them out and let her get a jump on them. They're flies, not bees. I know she prefers butterflies but this time of year they're impossible to get your hands on good ones.”

Mike shuffled, “Aunt Hilda has a glass feeding cage for them. There's air holes and it's perfectly safe, but since Lily prefers to get her own food, she tends to make a fuss about actually hunting for them.”

Matt nodded before frowning, “So, is Zelda going to be coming in anytime soon or is she the type to throw a big enough tantrum to stay away until the trial?”

Mike sighed, “I, honestly, don't know. I've never had an incident like this before.”

Matt poked at the remnants of breakfast before sighing, “I'm going to the trial.”

“Matt-”

“You are on trial for participating in a... well 'False God' event, right? We prove it wasn't you, it was me, and then there is no trial.”

“Matt-”

“No charges, no trial. I'm not part of your religion or your coven or whatever it's called here, I can't be tried for breaking any law of your religion and even if I am, I have no qualm against being excommunicated by them.”

Mike sighed, “They can still punish you for it, they can even punish me for it.”

“Is it as bad as excommunication?”

Mike snickered and nodded, “It can be.”

“Then we'll contest the charges if it comes to that.”

“What about when they try to force you into joining?”

Matt shook his head, “I'm not joining, and they'll just have to live with that.”


	23. Disorder in the Court

Matt's fingers had been running over his grimoire, Mike had left it open for him to find the morning of the trial to one of the pages he never dwelled on in the past. Hilda had hummed when she entered, “Michael has a bit of a plan, should things not work out... He's already under watch at the church but he said he'd leave you a message about it.”

Matt's fingers couldn't seem to stop moving as he pulled them back from the book. “It won't come to that.”

“It's perfectly safe, you know? Zelda has done so several times,” Hilda stopped speaking at Matt's face, “It's, not exactly like falling asleep or waking back up, but it's not permanent.”

“It won't happen,” Matt mumbled, “Shouldn't we, be heading to the trial?”

“I was just on the way to let you know if we don't hurry we'll be late.”

Matt nodded as he slammed the book closed and stood, “Alright, let's go.”

He couldn't stop playing with the loop on his cane, Hilda kept doing this little sigh every time she glanced over to see it, “It's not going to be as bad as you might think.”

Matt snickered, “It's going to be worse. Thank you for, keeping Foggy out of this part.”

“Well, he might be a touch cross at me later, but he will wake up fully rested after that sleeping dram I slipped into his drink last night.”

Matt shook his head, “You could have warned me about that first, you know?”

Hilda shifted, shrugging, “Sorry, but you have no poker face, Matthew, it wouldn't have worked if you'd known. He would have picked up that something was wrong.”

Matt needed to get his mind away as they drove, “Can, can you tell me the layout of the building?”

Hilda made a startled sound, “Oh, right, well, it's... It was a church at first. A simple one room building. Um, the, the pews are basic, spacing between them. I, I honestly never even thought to count how many rows there are-”

Matt smirked and nodded, “Most don't, is there any identifiers to warn me when I'm near the front?”

“Oh, yes, there's tables set up in front, and a railing in front of them.”

“That works. Thank you, Hilda.”

“It's a bit of a walk, but we're just up the way and we'll be at the church. There is a trail, but it's old and mainly stone and beaten path.” Hilda was already shifting out of the car while Matt opened the door and tried to shake off the unnerving chill of the trees shifting in the wind. “We're already running late, so-”

Matt nodded as he shifted toward the voice, using the car as a guide in the unknown area before he reached out to take the arm lifted toward him, “I hope this works.”

“Well, we have a plan B if it doesn't...”

Matt shook his head, it felt like the ground he stepped on was starting to make his skin crawl as Hilda called out the steps he knew was there, “It won't come to that.”

“I'm here, to help, if you need it.”

Matt took a deep breathe as Hilda opened the door, “Forgive me for interrupting, but you seem to have the wrong Murdock on trial.” He winced against the sudden flux of voices and the slam against the judge's desk.


	24. Sentencing

Foggy gave a groan as he stretched, he felt better than he had in years. Actually, he felt better than when he had one of Matt's stress relief... “Murdock!”

Foggy was halfway dressed and pulling the door to the guest room when Hilda jumped back and nearly dropped the tray she held, “Oh, dear, I didn't mean to startle you. I, heard you yell so I thought I should bring you something to eat and... explain.”

“Matt gave me one of his sleepy time teas, that's what happened!”

“No, actually, I gave you a sleeping draft. I, well you needed a proper rest and Mortals can't be involved in- Well, it wouldn't have been very good for any of us involved. I gave you just enough to keep you asleep long enough to get through the trial. It seemed to have worn off a bit earlier than I expected, but if Matt has given you sleep drafts before that could be why.”

“You, miss witchy Betty Crocker, slipped me sleeping tea?”

“Yes, I'm sorry?”

Foggy sighed, rubbing his eyes and flailing a hand before taking the tray and setting it to the side, “So, okay, how'd it go?”

Hilda gave a bit of a wheeze of a laugh, and sniffed, “He will be a great lawyer one day. He definitely held his own in Our court, and I must say that's quite a bit more dangerous than yours. The court immediately went below, um, to the chambers? I think that's the right way of saying it for your law, and they had to make an amendment to the charges. They attempted to try and rule for punishing Michael... for being a believer and follower of the False God, because of Matthew. In, in our Book, twins are viewed as individuals, but when it comes to identical twins, True Twins, they're viewed as having one Soul. It's split in half, one carries their own half of it. Because Matthew was Catholic, a worshiper of the False God, they attempted to punish Michael as if he were too.”

“So, Mike got punished?”

“No, well, in a way, but- Well, time will tell what becomes of that.”

“Are they okay?”

Hilda sniffed, “I would say they are, or will be, but, as a Mortal you might not feel or view it that way. Just, give him time to process what happened first?”

“Where's Matt?”

Hilda gave a sad smile, “Out front, in the cemetery. He's been there all morning. I took him a blanket and tried to get him to eat, but he said he'd wait.”

Foggy was already rushing, nearly stumbling down the stairs as he hit the front door and gave a very confused huff of breath when he saw Matt just sitting there, leaning back against an ancient headstone, “Hey, buddy, everything okay?”

Matt's head swayed upward before it shook, “I don't know yet. I'm waiting to find out if it is.”

Foggy slowly shuffled in beside him, wincing at the chill as he inched under the blanket and feeling how cold his buddy had gotten, “Buddy, how long have you been out here? You're ice cold.”

“Since, Hilda helped me bury Mike.”

Foggy's breathing was quickening, “They killed him?”

Matt shook his head, sniffing, “No. The case was thrown out. The contract he made, it was rendered Null and Voided. Both twins must be alive in order to split the soul. One body, one, complete soul. He, he did something, I... went numb, just- like a puppet. I don't know how he did it. I heard him, but it was like I was numb on the outside. He, he invoked the Law of Cane. Or rather he invoked my right to it.”

“Cane?”

“Cane and Abel, Foggy.”

Foggy actually went pale, his eyes turning toward the fresh turned earth behind them, “He, he made you kill him?”

“Hilda called it Plan B. I tried to do what I could, but- I guess nothing I could work around would have stuck because Mike just, pulled the pin. I, I don't know what happened, what he... saw, that I couldn't, but he just went so still, and he was so scared. He whispered 'no' and after that I just, couldn't feel anything, not until I heard his heart stop.”

“It wasn't your fault, Matt. He, he forced you, literally. This, this isn't your sin, this is his.”

“You know why I put him here?”

“Family plot?”

Matt shook his head, “This is a Cane pit. It's, witches use them for resurrection. But, he's excommunicated, he's no longer... I don't know if it will still work.”

Foggy leaned a little harder against Matt, “It'll work, buddy. What's the saying? Murdocks always get up.”


	25. Resurrection

Matt was 'sleeping', Foggy was smiling and holding him close as his friend practically drooled on his shoulder and knew he was semi-awake when his fingers started playing with the helm of his shirt again. “Any idea how long this is going to take?”

Matt shifted, shaking his head as his eyes started drooping again, “I have no idea.”

“Buddy, even I can hear your stomach growling... Let's get something to eat.”

Matt shook his head as he shifted away to lean back against the headstone, “I'm not hungry.”

“Hey, I didn't say I was going anywhere,” Foggy tugged his arm and leaned back against his best friend, “You need to eat something. I don't even think I saw you eating dinner last night.”

Matt shook his head, “I'm not hungry, you go ahead.”

Foggy actually startled him enough to get him stumbling to his feet as he stood up, “Come on, no matter what's going on out here, nothing changes if you come inside to warm up and eat something. Come on, Matt, right foot, left- there we go.”

Matt froze, head jerking toward the yard, his eyes ticking around as if he was searching for something before he shook his head and continued to let Foggy drag him into the house, “Thought I heard something.”

“Knowing you, buddy, you hear everything, so, ease it back a bit and try not to broaden your horizons that much.”

Matt honestly had no idea how hungry he was until he smelled freshly cooked scrambled eggs and toast and that salty/oily ting following bacon fresh from the skillet. “Eat up, you'll need it. It's already been a very rough morning,” Hilda's voice made him smile.

Matt actually ended up making a 'mess', he ended up piling eggs onto a corner of toast and scattering most of it when it broke apart as he took his first bite. “Easy, Matthew, I better not be crawling around under the table cleaning up eggs all afternoon...”

“Sorry,” Matt hummed, “It's good.”

Foggy snickered as he checked a drawer, “Rule one, unless it's the type of scrambled eggs you have to cut, use a spoon,” Matt rolled his eyes as Foggy set the spoon next to the fork he'd originally been handed, “Makes it easier, and Matt keeps track of any of the run away bits a lot easier.”

Matt was chuckling as he grabbed the spoon and licked his lips before he froze and his head snapped toward them, “What's wrong, Matthew?”

“Shifting, shifting earth.”

Hilda leaned down, “You'll know, when it happens, you'll feel it first, long before you hear it.”

Matt finally relaxed as he frowned, “Fox, digging out by the road.”

Foggy's hand landed on his shoulder, “Sorry.”

Matt frowned harder as he tilted his head, “It's not a fox, I thought it was. I, can't tell what it is. Something with fur and similar build.”

Foggy snagged a piece of toast, “Probably raccoon?”

Matt rolled his eyes, “I'm from the city, Foggy I know what a raccoon feels and sounds like.” He flinched when Lily landed on his shoulder, it suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. A panic attack was the first thought but then he realized it wasn't panic, it was like catching his breathe. That's when he first heard the pounding outside. He shot to his feet and bolted for the door before he felt the ground breaking. “Mikey, Mikey,” he grabbed for it and started pulling him out, hearing that first harsh gasp as that pounding sounded so loudly in his ears.

“Did, did it work?”

Matt ended up falling back, dragging his brother from the hole, “Yeah, it, it worked.”

“Easy, Matt, don't get him on his feet. Let him catch his breath first.” Foggy set a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from picking him back up. “Just, take it easy, Mike.”

“I'm freezing and starving, I want to go inside,” Mike grumbled as he forced himself to his feet.

“And a bath,” Matt smirked as he caught him when he swayed, letting him lean on him.

“I said I was freezing, didn't I? Bath first.”

“Agreed.”

Hilda was already meeting them at the door, bundling the brothers up in a blanket. “Michael, you know where the towels are, make sure you show Matthew where they are.”

“Mhm,” Mike hummed at the warm blanket. “I will, Aunt Hilda. And, thank you. For showing Matt what to do.”

“The next time you pull a stunt like that... I'll poison your favorite cookies.” Foggy paled at the cheerful tone as she patted his shoulder, “Now, take care of your brother.”

Matt nodded, “I will, thank you, Hilda.”

“I wasn't talking to you, dear.”


	26. Family taking care of family

Foggy had cracked up the moment Matt had entered the kitchen, “Buddy, what are you wearing?”

Matt shrugged as his fingers played with the sleeve of his borrowed shirt, “It's soft.”

“I'm surprised you're not cowering in the corner, bleeding from the ears, as loud as that shirt is... It's Mike's, isn't it?”

Matt snickered, “Is it that obvious?”

“I thought you packed clothes.”

“I did, but, both sets are dirty, and I needed clean clothes for the trip home.”

Mike shifted, “Um, any chance either of you know any places up for rent in the Kitchen?”

Matt tilted his head toward his brother, “Why's that?”

Mike shifted, “Aunt Zelda is on the warpath, and I know that staying here is going to put a rift between the sisters, and I don't want to be a homewrecker for them.”

“You better write,” Hilda called as she headed off, “I mean it!”

Matt smirked, “Why would Zelda be angry at you? You were excommunicated because of me. It should be me she's mad at.”

“Oh, you do not know Auntie Z... She's pissed at me, trust me. She would put Sister Maggie to Shame when it comes to the Book. She's mad at me because I knowingly committed fraud, even if I didn't know it was fraud until last week.”

Matt rolled his eyes, “Satan's fault for not paying attention to the fine print, not you.”

Mike was chuckling and shaking his head, “About that place?”

Foggy sighed, “I'd offer my couch but I've got about 10 feet total space at my place. Oh, Matt, did I mention my scumlord has me on a month by month lease?”

“What?”

“Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. Yeah, he doesn't trust 'college kids' and knows we're the fly by night types. You shoulda seen my security deposit...”

“Assholes.”

Foggy leaned closer toward him, “I hate the place, it- it's missing a lot of things.”

“Hot water heater temperamental,” Matt asked with a smirk.

“No, well sort of, but no. It doesn't have the warmth of large windows, or the constant little background vibe and hum of UV lamps and growing plants.”

“Yeah, the apartment hasn't been the same since you left either. I think they miss you. They've been, less productive lately. My Belladonna even started losing leaves.”

“Is the quarantine closet too cold? It's been getting colder out.”

“No, it's just, the energy of the place I guess. It's changed enough that they're being effected.”

“I miss Home,” Foggy mumbled.

Matt smiled, “I do too.” He nudged Foggy's shoulder, “I do have one problem... I have already swapped out my single bed. So there's less space in the bedroom.”

Foggy chuckled, “Lucky, I'm still stuck in that cramped single. Haven't found any good mattresses to size up yet.”

Matt shrugged, “Not all it's cracked up to be. It's too much space, and gets cold quickly.”

Mike groaned and covered his eyes, “You are not falling for this, Foggy...” Matt blinked at Foggy's shifting and Matt smirked at the nodding. “Oh, come on, seriously? How does 8 drinks and actual flirting not so much as crack that shell of yours but _this_ actually works?”

“Matt's got something you don't, Mike... Tact. That's why you're Matt-light. Sorry, I don't make the rules.”

Mike grumbled, “Lucky bastard.”

Matt was tilting his head toward Foggy as Mike stomped off, probably to pack, “So, want to move back in?”

“I want to come Home, and I think I just figured out a way to solve my scumlord's next month's rent issue.”

“You know he's going to pull some bullshit and try to keep the security deposit, right?”

“Oh, hell yeah I do, lucky for him, I've been working in tenement cases for the last several months. I will mop the floor with him.”

Matt grinned as he reached up to rub Foggy's shoulder, “I can't wait until you get the check back.”

“Neither can I. Mike might need some help if he's relocating.”

“So, when's the train?”

“We've got a few more hours before we need to head out. I don't know how they're going to take to having a bat on board though,” Foggy was chuckling as Lily shifted herself until she was hidden under Mike's shirt. “You know I hate that...”

“It's either that or a carrier,” Matt grumbled, “I think she'll hate that even more.”

“Lunch time,” was called from downstairs, making them all smile.


	27. Lost Child of Light, Welcome to the Family

Matt nudged his way through the door of Nelson's Meats, smirking as Foggy reached to keep the door open while he tapped at his collar to feel the furry shift under it, “Easy, no running off...”

“Oh, she'll behave or she'll never get any of these delicious meats.”

He rolled his eyes at the small furry head poking out of his collar to chatter at Foggy, “Shhh, they'll throw us out.”

“Nah, Matty, she's family, same as you. Alright, one nibble and then no more hell raising, alright?”

Matt was glaring, “You are spoiling her...”

“Hey, ferrets have very small systems, so they need to eat more often than dogs and cats. We've talked about this.”

Matt was wincing at the drop of he honestly didn't want to know what, onto his shoulder as she quickly scarfed the piece of meat down. “You are going to be horrible for our children... You're going to spoil every one of them.”

“And what's wrong with that?” Matt smiled at the older Nelson's voice, “That's the point of kids after all.”

“Hey, dad, how's it been?”

Matt was smirking as he headed toward the table and set his bag down. “I brought some of the homemade sausage you love so much.”

“You will give us the recipe some day, won't you, Matt? My wife refuses to let me eat anything else... I can't even talk her into bacon, but she'll let me have as much of your blend as I want.”

“I don't use preservatives, just good lean meat, and home grown seasonings, that's why.”

“Did you bring the cheese ball too?”

Matt snickered and nodded, “Yes, I did, but I had to use a... less preservative free cheese so I would go easy on that this time around.”

Foggy shifted to grab the bag, “I'll start slicing these up for the tray.”

Matt nodded, “Thanks, Foggy. It keeps longer before it's cut, so I don't like cutting it then transporting it.”

Foggy was being just a little bit of a shit, snickering as he whispered to his father, “I get to have this every morning,” before yelping at the swat while being shooed off by his mother.

“Franklin, you leave your father alone... He's still getting use to the new diet. Doctors orders,” was said in a stronger voice when Mr. Nelson seemed to have tried to start saying something.

“Yeah, doctor's order,” was grumbled. “So, Matt, you been thinking about a date?”

Matt ducked his head at Mrs. Nelson grumbling at him to leave them alone. “We're still dealing with things. We've decided to hold off on anything... permanent, at least until after things settle down. Did Foggy warn you?”

“Warn us, about what?”

Matt shifted his collar, wincing slightly at the small nails against his neck shifted as a small furry head poked out to shift and look around. “Oh, Elektra? Yeah, he said she was like an emotional support animal. Called it a Familiar?”

“Yeah,” Matt nodded, “She just, kinda showed up one day and she's- yeah emotional support sums up a lot actually. But, there's something else too. Did Foggy tell you I have a brother? He, he's running a bit late because he's been taking classes to become a legal secretary but he should actually be coming in soon.”

“Oh, no, no he didn't. Theo, has anyone come in looking for Matt or Foggy?”

“Nope, why?”

“Matt's brother is supposed to be in today.”

Matt was chuckling as he heard the bell ring. “So, where's the party?”

Matt couldn't keep himself from laughing at the sudden silence, he could physically feel the confusion in the room, “Hey, Mike, how'd class go?”

“Oh, I do not want to talk about that. I was promised beer and good food and even better company. I see none of that...”

“Don't be an ass,” Matt glared as he kicked the chair out next to him, “Sit down, Foggy ran some food to the back, we're helping them set up for dinner.”

“Oh, well, you coulda given me a heads up, I woulda been fashionably late.”

“You're already late, Murdock,” Foggy's voice made Matt chuckle, “Now, come help me set up the table in the back.”

“Yes Sir,” Mike actually saluted before following.

“And no getting fresh or I'll send Elektra to bite at your heels...” Matt called while Foggy laughed.

“No worries, buddy, he won't. I have cleavers back here.”

Matt was grinning as Lily fluttered out of the back to land on his shoulder and sniff and groom Elektra's head when she poked it out from under his collar. “Oh, um, this is Lily, she's my brother's Familiar.”

“Oh, he's, like you?”

“It's a long story,” Matt mumbled as he heard shifting of chairs as more bodies joined him around the table.

“So, what do we need to know?” He tilted his head as they leaned in, “Family should know family. And we don't want to offend by doing something wrong.”

Matt sighed, “It's a really long story.”

“We've got time.”


End file.
